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Lionel Messi added another remarkable chapter to an already extraordinary career by becoming the all-time leading goalscorer in World Cup history. With his latest strike, Messi moved past previous marks to reach 17 World Cup goals, a milestone that cements his legacy on football’s biggest stage.

After the match Messi was characteristically modest, downplaying the personal significance of the achievement. “It’s an honor to be next to Klose, and Ronaldo is there too,” he said, acknowledging former greats Miroslav Klose and Ronaldo Nazário. He also tipped his hat to Kylian Mbappé, who netted a brace in the same game. “But in the end it’s only statistics. It doesn’t mean anything to me. I’m not thinking about the record, we were only thinking about winning the game.”

Those comments reflect the team-first mentality that has defined much of Messi’s international career. While record books will headline his new mark, Messi insisted the priority remains lifting trophies and delivering for Argentina rather than chasing individual numbers.
The praise for Messi hasn’t been limited to fans and pundits. Ronaldo Nazário — the Brazilian icon who spent his later years in the shadow of physical struggles and early retirement — earlier voiced his support for Messi’s pursuit. “If anyone deserves to become the greatest goalscorer in World Cup history, it’s him,” Ronaldo said. He added a personal aside about longevity in football, noting how different his own trajectory was: “He’s 38 years old, my God! At his age, I had already retired from football four years earlier and weighed 120 kilos.”
That perspective only adds weight to Messi’s achievement. To reach 17 World Cup goals across multiple tournaments requires not only skill but sustained fitness, adaptability and the ability to perform under intense global scrutiny. Messi’s tally now sits alongside names that shaped the modern game, and it sparks fresh debates about all-time greatness — an argument that will likely continue among fans and analysts.

For Argentina, Messi’s landmark is more than a statistic: it’s a symbol of consistency and leadership. Whether measured by trophies, individual awards, or historic records, few careers have matched Messi’s blend of creativity, precision and longevity. Even as he shrugs off the numerical glory, the world acknowledges that football history has a new page with his name at the top.

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