Messi set multiple historic milestones after Argentina's epic comeback.

With the goal he scored in this match, Messi increased his tally to eight goals in the 2026 World Cup, continuing to lead the race for the Golden Boot. More importantly, the Argentine superstar now has a total of 21 goals across World Cup tournaments, extending his record as the all-time top scorer in the competition's history.

The goal against Egypt also made Messi the first player to score in six consecutive World Cup knockout matches. This achievement surpasses the previous records held by Leonidas, Gyorgy Sarosi, and Vava, who each scored in five straight knockout games.

Not only did he score, but Messi also made his mark with a precise cross that Cristian Romero headed home to cut the deficit to 1-2 in the 79th minute, kickstarting Argentina's remarkable comeback. This was his ninth assist in World Cup tournaments, allowing the Albiceleste captain to surpass Diego Maradona (8 assists) and tie the record for the most assists in World Cup history according to Opta statistics.

Since the 1966 World Cup, no player has recorded more assists than Messi. Maradona is next with eight, while Pierre Littbarski and Grzegorz Lato each have seven. Legends such as Pele, David Beckham, Thomas Muller, Bastian Schweinsteiger, and Ivan Perisic all stopped at six assists.

According to FIFA statistics, Pele has nine assists. However, FIFA's counting method differs from Opta's, as it includes passes that were deflected before a teammate scored. If all World Cup tournaments are considered, including those before 1966, Opta records Fritz Walter also with nine assists. This means Messi has equaled the all-time record of the German legend.

Another milestone for Messi is that he became the first player to record at least one assist in six different World Cups: 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, and 2026. This is a clear testament to the remarkable consistency of the 1987-born star, alongside his goal-scoring record spanning five World Cups.

Messi's assist tally has also grown progressively through each tournament. He had one assist in the 2006, 2010, and 2014 World Cups, two assists in 2018, three assists during the triumphant 2022 campaign, and has now raised the total to nine with his pass to Romero against Egypt.

One of Messi's most memorable assists came in the 2022 World Cup semifinal, when he dribbled past Josko Gvardiol before setting up Julian Alvarez to score against Croatia in a 3-0 victory.

This is also the first time in World Cup history that Argentina has won a match after trailing by two goals. Previously, they had lost all 13 games in similar situations.

In addition to the records mentioned above, Messi also became the fourth player in World Cup history to be involved in two knockout-stage goals within just four minutes, following Abdelrahman Fawzi (1934), Kylian Mbappe (2022 World Cup final), and now himself.

At 39 years old, Messi also made history as the oldest player to both score and assist in a World Cup knockout match. The previous record was held by Swedish legend Nils Liedholm, who achieved the same feat at age 35 during the 1958 World Cup.

The victory over Egypt also extended Argentina's impressive streak against African representatives. The Albiceleste have now won nine consecutive matches against teams from the black continent in the World Cup, and they became the first team to defeat three African representatives in a single World Cup tournament: Algeria, Cape Verde, and Egypt.