The Record That May Never Fall

Seven. Straight. World Cup games with a goal.

Lionel Messi became the first player ever to score in seven consecutive World Cup games, netting his 19th tournament goal against Jordan in Argentina’s group stage finale on Saturday night. Coming on as a substitute, the 39-year-old needed just one chance. He took it with ruthless precision.

Messi scored with a free kick after a foul just outside the penalty area in the 80th minute. The low strike barely above the grass split two Jordan defenders and nestled into the left corner. Trademark. Inevitable. Historic.

Previously, he had been one of only three players to score in six consecutive World Cup games, alongside France’s Just Fontaine in 1958 and Brazil’s Jairzinho in 1970. Now he stands alone. Untouched. Unreachable.

For more on Argentina’s round of 32 prospects, head to KCPredict.

What the Numbers Say

The stats surrounding this moment are almost absurd.

Messi extended his all-time World Cup scoring record to 19 goals, and also became the fifth player to score six goals in a single World Cup group stage, the first to do so since Russia’s Oleg Salenko in 1994. Six goals. In the group stage alone. At 39.

Messi now holds 123 international goals in 202 appearances, second only to Cristiano Ronaldo’s 145. The gap to Ronaldo remains, but no one in football history has done more damage at a World Cup than Messi.

Argentina face surprise package Cape Verde in the round of 32 on Friday in Miami. Another record could be next. Another page of history, waiting to be written. For the full match preview and analysis, visit ESPN’s World Cup hub.