The 5 records that Lionel Messi could break at the Qatar 2022 World Cup

At this point in his career, Lionel Messi can be considered a record man for the number of footprints he left in world football. However, the competitive appetite of the national team captain never seems to be satisfied. In Qatar 2022, the Rosarino will seek the glory that was denied him at the previous World Cups, but he may also break several marks internationally.

1. HE WILL BE ONE OF THE PLAYERS WITH THE MOST WORLD CUPS PLAYED

So far, only four retired footballers participated in 5 World Cups. They are the Mexicans Antonio Carbajal (Brazil 1950, Switzerland 1954, Sweden 1958, Chile 1962 and England 1966) and Rafael Márquez (Korea-Japan 2002, Germany 2006, South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018), German Lothar Matthäus (Spain 1982, Mexico 1986, Italy 1990, United States 1994 and France 1998) and Italian Gianluigi Buffon (France 1998, Korea-Japan 2002, Germany 2006, South Africa 2010 and Brazil 2014).

Messi, who has already witnessed Germany 2006, South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018, will catch up with this select group although it will not be the only one: Cristiano Ronaldo will join Portugal, while Mexicans Guillermo Memo Ochoa and Andrés Guardado will do the same with the Aztec cast. In this way, Leo will overcome the line of his compatriots Diego Armando Maradona and Javier Mascherano, who played four World Cups.

Although he has not yet defined anything about his future, the Rosarino could become the first and only player in history to participate in 6 World Cups, if he continues in Albiceleste ahead of the event to be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada in 2026, the year in which he will be 39 years old (Cristiano and Ochoa will turn 41 and Guardado 40).

2. MOST MATCHES PLAYED

Again the names of Diego Armando Maradona and Javier Mascherano appear in this item. The Diez, with 21 presences, is the Argentine who most often wore the light blue and white shirt in World Cups. The Jefecito follows him with 20. Messi completes the podium with 19, so if he plays in the three duels for the group stage, he will overcome the line of his compatriots and expand his spectrum (he is already the national man with the most matches played in general history).

But beyond the domestic level, Messi aspires to stay with the brand of German Lothar Matthäus, who throughout the five World Cups he played, participated in a total of 25 matches. If Lionel Scaloni's team reaches the semifinals in Qatar 2022 and the Pulga scores minutes in all commitments, it will reach the champions in Italy 90. And if he disputes a hypothetical final or duel for third and fourth place, it will happen with 26.

3. MOST MINUTES PLAYED

Although he did not compete in five World Cups like the quartet mentioned above, Italian Paolo Maldini had four World Cup events enough to become the footballer with the most minutes on the court in the history of the competition. He played seven matches in Italy 90, seven in United States 94, five in France 98 and four in Korea-Japan 2002. In those 23 engagements, he garnered 2,217 minutes.

Lionel Messi, who participated in portions of three matches in Germany 2006, played all five of Argentina's full matches in South Africa 2010, witnessed all seven in Brazil 2014 (including three extra times) and completed all four of Russia 2018, has accumulated 1,624 minutes. If Leo plays complete - as usual - the three duels for the group stage will reach 1,894 World Cup minutes. To overcome the line of Italian Maldini (without the need to resort to overtime), Messi must play every minute with an Argentina that reaches the semifinals and then plays in the final or the match for third and fourth place. If the rosarino completes 90 'in the seven matches, it will reach 2,254 minutes.

4. THE PLAYER WITH THE MOST WON MATCHES

The German Miroslav Klose, who won 24 matches played in his four World Cups (Korea-Japan 2002, Germany 2006, South Africa 2010 and Brazil 2014) and was one of his compatriot Matthäus, is the player with the most World Cup victories. He accumulated a total of 17 for the great performances of the Teuton cast: he was runner-up in 2002, third in 2006 and 2010 and champion in 2014 (in the last three mentioned World Cups he was the executioner of Messi and Argentina).

The numbers of Lionel Messi are not far behind in terms of triumphs throughout the four world championships that he has played. Leo contributed to two albicelestial celebrations in 2006 (to Serbia and Montenegro and Mexico), four in 2010 (Nigeria, South Korea, Greece and Mexico), five in 2014 (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iran, Nigeria, Switzerland and Belgium) and one in 2018 (Nigeria). The Argentine recorded 12 victories, 3 draws and 4 losses in the World Cups.

It will not be easy for him to match Klose's mark, although nothing is impossible: Argentina will have to reach the semifinals by winning all their matches. And, if he goes to the final playing and winning all the commitments, Messi will go to the German with 18.

5. THE FOOTBALLER WHO MOST TIMES CAPTAINED HIS NATIONAL TEAM

Since his expulsion from the World Cup in the United States in 1994, Diego Armando Maradona left a record that no other international player could overcome. He subscribed to the number of matches in which he captained his national team in a World Cup. There were a total of 16.

César Luis Menotti appointed Daniel Passarella with the bracelet in Spain 82, but Carlos Salvador Bilardo placed the tape on Ten in the seven meetings in Mexico 86 and the seven in Italy 90. Alfio Basile kept Pelusa in the band with the C against Greece and Nigeria before testing positive for anti-doping control. Oscar Ruggeri was the captain in the defeats to Bulgaria and Romania.

Maradona was the coach of the albiceleste team in South Africa 2010. In that competition Javier Mascherano put on the tape, but as he rested in the third group stage match against Greece, Messi once wore it. Already in Brazil 2014, Alejandro Sabella gave him the bracelet in the seven shows in Argentina. And the same happened with Jorge Sampaoli in the four matches he played in Russia 2018. That is to say that Leo captained the National Team in 12 matches.

If Messi is not missing in the entire group stage and Argentina plays at least the round of 16 of Qatar 2022, the 10 albiceleste will match Maradona in the number of world cup captaincies.

LIONEL MESSI'S 19 WORLD CUP MATCHES

Germany 2006:

· Argentina 6-0 Serbia and Montenegro (entered 15′ and scored a goal)

· Argentina 0-0 Holland (starter played 70′)

· Argentina 2-1 to Mexico (entered and played 36′)

South Africa 2010:

· Argentina 1-0 Nigeria (played the 90′)

· Argentina 4-1 South Korea (played 90′)

· Argentina 2-0 Greece (captain and played the 90′)

· Argentina 3-1 Mexico (played the 90′)

· Argentina 0-4 Germany (played the 90′)

Brazil 2014:

· Argentina 2-1 Bosnia and Herzegovina (captain, played the 90′ and scored a goal)

· Argentina 1-0 Iran (captain, played the 90′ and scored a goal)

· Argentina 3-2 Nigeria (captain, played the 90′ and scored two goals)

· Argentina 1-0 Switzerland (captain and played the 120′)

· Argentina 1-0 Belgium (captain and played the 90′)

· Argentina 0-0 Holland (captain and played the 120′)

· Argentina 0-1 Germany (captain and played the 120′)

Russia 2018:

· Argentina 1-1 Iceland (captain and played the 90′)

· Argentina 0-3 Croatia (captain and played the 90′)

· Argentina 2-1 Nigeria (captain, played the 90′ and scored a goal)

· Argentina 3-4 France (captain and played the 90′)

THE NUMBERS OF LIONEL MESSI

World Cups played: 4

Games played: 19

Minutes on court: 1,624

Matches as captain: 12

Games won: 12

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