It was six World Cups ago that a fresh-faced Leo Messi announced himself on the biggest stage with a debut goal against Serbia and Montenegro aged just 17.
Watching on from the stands that day in Gelsenkirchen was a certain Diego Maradona, who celebrated wildly when Messi burst in behind and side-footed home. Little, then, did Maradona know of the heights that floppy-haired winger would soar to in the years to come.
This week, Messi surpassed Miroslav Klose to become the World Cup’s all-time leading goalscorer with a brace against Austria. The goals marked his 17th and 18th on his 28th appearance in football’s premium tournament.
So, to celebrate the occasion, Daily Mail Sport has ranked every single one of the little magician’s World Cup strikes from best to worst…
Lionel Messi became the World Cup’s all-time leading goalscorer this week with a brace against Austria
1) Vs Iran, Brazil 2014 group stages
This is, in many ways, the quintessential Messi goal: cutting inside, beating a man, and curling a shot into the far top corner with that wicked left foot of his.
It also came at a pivotal moment, as it was a 91st-minute winner to secure a 1-0 win and Argentina’s passage to the last 16.
The goal was a reminder of Messi’s power. Before the game, he got embroiled in a row with head coach Alejandro Sabella over Argentina’s formation. That ended with Sabella going with Messi’s preferred option and he was duly rewarded.
2) Vs Nigeria, Russia 2018 group stages
This was another reminder of Messi’s class, as he took down a long ball with his thigh, dinked the ball beyond his marker with his second touch, and blasted it past the goalkeeper with his weaker right foot.
Messi’s opening goal, and a late volley from Marcos Rojo, ensured a 2-1 victory over Nigeria and spared the South Americans an embarrassing group-stage exit.
At the time, many thought this would be his last World Cup – he was going to be 35 for Qatar in 2022 – and that at least this goal had saved him from a clanger of a farewell. How wrong we were…
3) Vs Algeria, USA 2026 group stages, first goal
Messi’s first goal of the 2026 World Cup – well, after his ruled-out one – announced that the Argentinian king is here to keep on ruling.
The sublime effort, curling from the edge of the box into the top corner beyond Emiliano Martinez, left even the 38-year-old forward looking a bit surprised. Yes Is this really happening?
Yes, it was happening. Messi went on to score a hat-trick, lifting our spirits around a controversial tournament. Orange American politicians and bald-headed Swiss administrators are doing their best to ruin it, but football hasn’t lost its irrepressible magic, and nor has Messi.
Messi’s first goal of the 2026 World Cup was one which announced that the great man’s powers haven’t left him just yet
4) Vs Nigeria, Brazil 2014 group stages, second goal
How many times have we seen the great man bend a set-piece into the top corner? Too many to count – and here’s a perfect example at the expense of Nigeria.
On the brink of half-time in a group phase match 12 years ago, Messi put Argentina 2-1 up with this dazzling free-kick, but it turned out to be his final goal of the tournament.
You may recall him blazing one over the bar from a similar distance in the dying embers of the final against Germany. That merely proved that the little man is human, after all.
On the brink of half-time in a group phase match against Nigeria 12 years ago, Messi put Argentina 2-1 up with this dazzling free-kick
5) Vs Algeria, USA 2026 group stages, third goal
As Messi nears his 39th birthday, some questioned whether his powers may have left him ahead of this summer. It took the great man just one match to prove those doubters wrong.
This goal, which completed the Argentinian’s hat-trick last week, is just classic Messi. The drop of the shoulder, cut inside and caress of the ball into the bottom corner. A carbon copy of so many of his great strikes.
6) Vs France, Qatar 2022 final, first goal
This penalty makes our list purely for the occasion. With the world watching and his country’s fate resting on his shoulders, Messi held his nerve.
It was the first of three times, including another spot-kick in the shootout, that the ex-Barca star found the back of the net in that final. It really was just written in the stars, wasn’t it?
A penny for the thoughts of Kylian Mbappe, though, who netted a hat-trick in that final and ended up on the losing team.
Messi’s penalty against France in the final of the 2022 showpiece makes our list purely for the occasion
7) Vs Mexico, Qatar 2022 group stages
After Argentina’s shock defeat by Saudi Arabia in the opening game in Qatar, they desperately needed a result against Mexico in their next outing.
For an hour, Lionel Scaloni’s men were being kept at bay and their World Cup dream was slipping away.
Suddenly, though, the ball fell to their captain outside the area and after killing it with one touch, he drilled it into the bottom corner with that trusty left peg. Enzo Fernandez added a second to seal the deal, but it was Messi’s show.
8) Vs France, Qatar 2022 final, second goal
Anyone who thought Argentina might have been fearing the worst after France had pegged them back at 2-2, to force extra-time in the most incredible of finals, must have forgotten about Messi.
He scored his second of the game to restore Argentina’s lead after 108 minutes, prodding home from close range after Hugo Lloris had parried Lautaro Martinez’s thumping effort into his path.
A desperate Jules Kounde did his best to scoop the ball away but it had already crossed the line and the goal was awarded. Advantage Argentina again.
Messi’s second strike in the 2022 final against France will prove to be one of the defining moments of his career
9) Vs Croatia, Qatar 2022 semi-final
Messi’s penalty-taking prowess carried Argentina to World Cup glory in 2022 as he netted six of his seven spot-kicks en route to lifting the trophy in Qatar.
His first-half penalty against the Croats in the 2022 semi-final was thrashed home with venom, giving Dominik Livakovic no chance despite him diving the right way.
Head over the ball, the Argentine wizard burst towards the penalty spot and almost took the roof of the net off with a 65mph strike, firing his team ahead before Julian Alvarez got in on the action with a brace in the 3-0 win.
Fans will mostly remember Messi’s dancing feet and mesmerising dribbling when it’s all said and done, but boy has the icon shown he can take a good penalty.
10) Vs Austria, USA 2026 group stage, second goal
After breaking the World Cup’s all-time scoring record in the first half against Austria, Messi refused to rest on his laurels and bagged another in stoppage time.
Picking up the ball on the right wing, Messi played Julian Alvarez through with a trademark pass into the penalty area, only to watch his team-mate fire his effort into the goalkeeper.
But following in as all great forwards do, Messi found space to receive the rebounding ball from Leandro Paredes, controlling it elegantly with his left foot before jockeying away from the goalkeeper and Austrian defence.
He powered a strike into a wall of red shirts – with four of them back on the goal line – but continued to show hunger as he dived to the floor to convert, nutmegging Nicolas Seiwald in the process.
By no means Messi’s most elegant finish at the World Cup, but one that aptly depicts his hunger and determination for goal-scoring.
After breaking the World Cup’s all-time scoring record in the first half against Austria, Messi refused to rest on his laurels and bagged another in stoppage time
11) Vs Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil 2014 group stages
Back then, in 2014, Messi shared the pitch with a string of attacking superstars – so much so it was hard to cram the likes of Sergio Aguero, Angel Di Maria, Gonzalo Higuain, Rodrigo Palacio and Ezequiel Lavezzi all in the same team together.
Messi’s spot in the team was never in doubt though, and he showed why. Scoring what proved to be the winner, the then Barcelona star played a smart one-two with substitute Higuain on the edge of the penalty area before jockeying past two opponents and caressing a pinpoint strike off the post and into the bottom corner.
What makes the goal all the more satisfying from a neutral fan’s perspective is that Muhamed Besic, who had been desperately chasing the Argentine in an attempt to dispossess him, ended up cartwheeling onto the floor after colliding with team-mate Ermin Bicakcic, whom Messi had masterfully just managed to evade.
Poetry in motion.
This strike from Messi at the Brazilian World Cup in 2014 left two Bosnian defenders cartwheeling
12) Vs Serbia and Montenegro, Germany 2006 group stages
Messi’s journey to becoming the World Cup’s greatest ever goal-scorer began over 20 years ago during Argentina’s 6-0 group stage win against Serbia and Montenegro.
The then 18-year-old youngster came on as a substitute in the second half and immediately showcased exactly what he can do on the world’s stage.
Finding space and darting towards the right-hand side of the penalty area, Messi collected a well-timed pass from Carlos Tevez and converted with just two touches, setting himself with his left foot to shrug off the defender before side-footing the ball into the near post with his right.
While perhaps not his very best, it was still a quintessential Messi goal and gave him the platform to carve out a superb international career.
Messi’s first World Cup goal came 20 years ago against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Germany
13) Vs Austria, USA 2026 group stages, first goal
Having missed an opportunity to become the World Cup’s all-time leading goalscorer from the penalty spot moments earlier, this was the goal which saw Messi surpass Miroslav Klose. And it was vintage Messi, at that.
It was almost as if Enzo Fernandez had eyes in the back of his head the way he dummied that ball to the great man ghosting in at the edge of the box. From there, Messi was just never going to miss.
He caressed an effort with that wand of a left foot past the Austrian goalkeeper and into the bottom corner. Then came pandemonium as the AT&T Stadium rose to appreciate the game’s greatest player, and now its most accomplished goalscorer on the biggest stage.
14) Vs Australia, Qatar 2022 last 16
If there’s one thing which this list is teaching us, it’s that Messi doesn’t really do tap-ins.
This goal, scored against Australia four years ago, is the quintessential Lionel Messi goal. He picks up the ball on the right, plays a one-two (via a small touch from Julian Alvarez) to get it back in the box and bends one into the far corner.
The great man, then aged 34, really stepped up when it mattered in Qatar. The strike against Australia marked a run of five-in-four during the knockout phase that winter. That’s some record on the biggest stage.
15) Vs Algeria, USA 2026 group stages, second goal
Now, this may be the worst of the three Messi bagged against Algeria last week – but it’s one which sparked a viral moment on social media.
After Alexis McAllister let fly from distance with Argentina 1-0 up, Messi pounced on a fumble by the Algerian goalkeeper to side-foot home his second of the night.
As he wheeled away to celebrate, the camera panned to a less than pleased Zinedine Zidane sat high in the stands of the Kansas City Stadium.
The Algerian goalkeeper that night? His son, Luca, who almost certainly felt the wrath of his father post-match.
Messi left Luca Zidane helpless for his second goal against the Algerians last week
16) Vs Nigeria, Brazil 2014 group stages, first goal
This goal doesn’t quite match the aforementioned free-kick in the same game which made our top five, but it’s no tap-in.
After breezing past both Bosnia and Iran, the clash with Nigeria back in 2014 came as something of a dead-rubber for the Argentinians. Yet, still, they started strong with Messi firing home after just two minutes.
It came after his old friend Angel di Maria unleashed a shot from the left, which cannoned into the post and ended up falling to Messi, arriving late into the box, near the penalty box. With his laces, the No 10 fired his effort into the roof of the net. It marked the third of Messi’s four goals that tournament.
17) Vs Netherlands, Qatar 2022 quarter-final
This was a clash which will live long in the memory. The Dutch against the Argentinians in the quarter-final of the World Cup. It doesn’t get much bigger than that, does it?
It’s another penalty from Messi which comes in at 17 on our list, one which he slotted with aplomb into the side-netting, leaving Andries Noppert rooted to the centre of his goal.
Notably, there was no stutter in Messi’s run-up. After his miss against Austria this week, maybe that’s a technique he’ll revert to the next time he steps up to the spot.
The great man outdid the Netherlands with a penalty in the quarter-final of the 2022 World Cup
18) Vs Saudi Arabia, Qatar 2022 group stage
Messi has scored a whopping 110 penalties during his illustrious career, and it’s one of them which closes out our list of his best World Cup goals.
This one, against Saudi Arabia four years ago, actually came during one of the upsets of the tournament. After Messi put his side one-up from the spot, the Argentinians crumbled during five second-half minutes to lose 2-1. Who’d have thought at that point that Messi and Co would go on to lift the trophy?
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