Lionel Messi is the greatest footballer ever and the records he has set for Barcelona, Argentina and in general back it up. These numbers are not normal.
The man himself was in ludicrous form yet again to sink Croatia and is still pretty decent at 35.
* No player has made more World Cup appearances than Lionel Messi – he is level with Lothar Matthaus on 25 and should set a new record in the 2022 final.
* Lionel Messi ranks second for all-time minutes played at World Cups (2,194), behind only Paolo Maldini (2,217), whose record he would break if he starts in the final and lasts until at least the 24th minute.
* Lionel Messi has made the most World Cup appearances as captain (18), ahead of Mexico’s Rafael Marquez (17) and some bloke called Diego Maradona (16).
* Lionel Messi ranks second for most World Cup wins as a player (16), behind only Miroslav Klose (17).
* Lionel Messi ranks joint-sixth all-time for World Cup goals, level with Jurgen Klinsmann and Sandor Kocsis on 11 and behind only Pele (12), Just Fontaine (13), Gerd Muller (14), Ronaldo (15) and Miroslav Klose (16).
* Lionel Messi ranks second all-time for World Cup assists (9), behind only Pele (10).
* Lionel Messi is the only player to assist goals at five different World Cup tournaments.
* Lionel Messi holds the record for the longest period between a player’s first and most recent World Cup goals (16 years and 180 days).
* Lionel Messi is the only player to score a World Cup goal in his teens, 20s and 30s.
* Lionel Messi has won the most man of the match awards at World Cups with 9, ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo (7) and Arjen Robben (6). He also has the most man of the match awards at one tournament (4 in both 2014 and 2022), level with Wesley Sneijder (2010).
* Lionel Messi is one of only six players to appear at five different World Cup tournaments – Antonio Carbajal, Lothar Matthaus, Rafael Marquez, Cristiano Ronaldo and Andres Guardado are the others.
* Lionel Messi is the favourite to win the 2022 World Cup Golden Ball, thus becoming the first player to win the trophy for best player at two tournaments in the process after claiming it at Brazil 2014.
* Lionel Messi is the only player in World Cup history – at least since such records began in 1966 – to score and assist a goal in four separate matches.
* Lionel Messi is the youngest player to play for, score and captain Argentina at a World Cup.
* Lionel Messi is the all-time top-scoring male South American in…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Football365…