Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and the records that could be broken at this World Cup
AnalysisLionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and the records that could be broken at this World Cup
Narinder Nanu / AFP via Getty Images
By Eduardo TansleyJune 20, 2026 Updated June 21, 2026In what is already a never-seen-before 48-team tournament with 104 games, there are more chances at records at this World Cup.
In the opening round of matches, Kylian Mbappe already became France’s record men’s goalscorer, and Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo became the first people to play in six World Cups.
Then there’s the World Cup’s oldest manager, a record that was broken three times during the tournament’s first four days through Hugo Broos (South Africa, 74) and Miroslav Koubek (Czech Republic, 74) before Dick Advocaat (Curacao, 78) made it his own.
Here are some more pieces of men’s World Cup history to look out for…
Daily Play
Play Connections: Soccer Edition
Group soccer terms that share a common thread. A new puzzle is available each day.
Lionel Messi
After a hat-trick against Algeria, Messi, 38, is now the joint top-scorer in men’s World Cup history, tying Germany’s Miroslav Klose on 16 goals. Two goals behind is Mbappe who, at 27, surely has plenty more World Cups in him.
If Messi finds the net in his next two games, he will become the first player to score in seven successive matches at the World Cup. Brazil’s Jairzinho (all in 1970) and Germany’s Just Fontaine (all in 1958) have both scored in six games in a row.
Depending on which record books you follow, Messi is also either the World Cup’s joint-top post-1966 assist leader with Diego Maradona on eight, or one behind Fritz Walter on nine if trusting pre-1966 statistics.
A record he definitely holds is as World Cup appearance leader, having played in 27 games and counting — two ahead of Lothar Matthaus (Germany) on 25. Cristiano Ronaldo is not far behind, having played in 23 World Cup matches, but he would need Portugal to reach four rounds further than Argentina to overtake Messi if they both play every game.
What will mean the most to Messi is lifting the World Cup trophy again. If he does, he will be the first captain to win the World Cup twice.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Ronaldo has a chance at history himself. If he scores during this tournament, he will become the first player to score at six World Cups.
His chances of getting on the scoresheet didn’t look promising in Portugal’s 1-1 draw with DR Congo but his next chance is against Uzbekistan on Tuesday.
Messi has featured in six World Cups but didn’t score at his second, South Africa in 2010, when Argentina lost in the quarter-finals to Germany.
Appearance records
These days, it seems like managers have shorter spells in charge, so it may be surprising to learn that Didier Deschamps can manage a record number of games as a head coach at World Cups if France reaches the semifinals.
Having managed 20 World Cup matches, including France’s 3-1 win over Senegal, Deschamps can move ahead of German coach Helmut Schon, who leads with 25 games in charge.
Of his 20 matches, Deschamps has managed 16 victories and needs just one more for the most wins at a World Cup by a manager.
Only one of the three men who have won the World Cup as a player and manager, Deschamps is coaching at his fourth edition of the tournament. His team reached the quarter-finals in 2014, won in 2018, and got to the final in 2022.
Could we also see Thomas Tuchel (German but managing England), Carlo Ancelotti (an Italian in charge of Brazil) or indeed Mauricio Pochettino (the United States' Argentinian coach) become the first foreign manager of a team to win a World Cup?
On the topic of Brazil, Germany could overtake them for the most World Cup games by nation and are currently trailing by two.
Goals scored
Mbappe already overtook Olivier Giroud as France's all-time goalscorer on 58 goals, but he is also only one goal away from having scored the most goals in the World Cup knockout stages.
The Frenchman, who scored a hat-trick in the Qatar 2022 final, is on eight knockout goals, tied with Ronaldo (Brazil) and Leonidas (Brazil).
With an increase to 104 games, we will surely see more goals scored at the World Cup than ever before. The total to beat is from Qatar 2022, when 172 goals were scored. This was just one goal ahead of the 171 scored in 2014 and 1998.
Harry Kane is likely to chip in with a few of these. The 2018 Golden Boot winner started his tournament with a brace against Croatia and now needs just one more goal to reach 11 and top Gary Lineker as the highest-scoring Englishman at World Cups.
By around the round of 32 or the round of 16, we will see the 3,000th World Cup goal, according to Opta.
Clean sheets
Goalkeepers Manuel Neuer and Thibaut Courtois are closing in on the record for World Cup clean sheets. However, neither achieved a clean sheet in their opening game. Neuer's Germany beat Curacao 7-1 and Courtois' Belgium drew 1-1 with Egypt.
Neuer had been retired from international football since the 2024 Euros, and his inclusion as Germany’s starting keeper was a last-minute decision by Julian Nagelsmann after Oliver Baumann started all qualifying games. Appearing in his fifth edition of the tournament at the age of 40, Neuer could yet add to his legacy.
Jun 24, 2026Connections: Sports Edition
Spot the pattern. Connect the terms
Find the hidden link between sports terms
Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
