The world watched Lionel Messi make history Monday night in Dallas. Now Guinness World Records has made it permanent.
In the hours following Argentina's 2-0 victory over Austria, Guinness officially confirmed that Messi broke not one but four separate World Cup records in a single match.
The announcement, posted to Guinness World Records' verified social channels, carried a simple declaration: "We are witnessing history."
The four records now officially held by Messi: most FIFA World Cup finals goals with 18, most World Cup matches played with 28, most matches won at the tournament with 18, and most minutes played at 2,489.
Messi scored his 17th and 18th World Cup goals in the 38th and 95th minutes respectively - extending his scoring streak to six consecutive World Cup matches dating back to Qatar 2022.
That scoring run also put him ahead of Brazil's Marta to become the all-time leading scorer across both men's and women's World Cup competitions.
The night wasn't without adversity. Messi has now missed three penalties at FIFA World Cup finals - against Iceland in 2018, Poland in 2022, and Austria in 2026 - before responding with the kind of composure that has defined his career.
He is currently the only player in the tournament with five goals, all of them scored by him alone for Argentina's group stage total.
His next match comes against Jordan on June 28, where he could become the first player in history to score in seven consecutive World Cup matches.
Messi, a devout Roman Catholic, has consistently credited his faith throughout this tournament. Each record-breaking goal has been met with the same gesture - a quiet point to the sky - as a man who has said he thanks God for everything continues to rewrite what is possible on the world's biggest stage.
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