Argentine forward Lionel Messi has become the first footballer in history to play in 30 World Cup matches. He achieved this milestone on July 3 during a game against the Cape Verde national team.
Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo occupies second place in terms of the number of appearances in the tournament’s history.
Messi is 39 years old and has represented Inter Miami, a club in the North American Major League Soccer (MLS), since 2023. Earlier in his European career, the Argentine played for French club Paris Saint-Germain and Spanish side Barcelona. With the Catalan team, the forward won the Champions League four times, as well as claiming the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup three times each.
The forward is an eight-time winner of the Ballon d’Or, which stands as an absolute global record. With the national team, Messi won the World Cup in 2022, secured the Copa América twice in 2021 and 2024, became an Olympic champion in 2008, and earned a silver medal at the World Cup in 2014.
On July 3, the Egyptian national team defeated Australia in the Round of 16 match of the FIFA World Cup. The game took place in Dallas and concluded with a penalty shootout score of 4–2.
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