Lionel Messi Reaches 18 World Cup Goals: Nigeria Among His Most Frequent Victims

Lionel Messi has etched his name further into football history at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, becoming the competition’s all-time top scorer with 18 goals across six tournament appearances. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, now 38 years old, surpassed German legend Miroslav Klose’s long-standing record of 16 goals — a mark that had stood since the 2014 tournament in Brazil.

Messi’s World Cup scoring record spans appearances across Germany 2006, South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014, Russia 2018, Qatar 2022, and the current 2026 edition co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Notably, he drew a blank at the 2010 tournament, making his subsequent output across the remaining five editions all the more remarkable. He has scored against 12 different nations in total: Serbia and Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iran, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Australia, the Netherlands, Croatia, France, Algeria, and Austria.

By continent, European nations have been his most frequent victims. Messi has scored eight World Cup goals against UEFA sides — finding the net against Serbia and Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Netherlands, Croatia, France, and Austria. African opponents have conceded six of his goals, split between Nigeria (three) and Algeria (three), making Africa the second most-affected continent. Asian nations Iran and Saudi Arabia have each conceded once, while Mexico and Australia account for one goal apiece from CONCACAF and Oceania respectively.

The Super Eagles of Nigeria hold a particularly unfortunate place in Messi’s record. Across the 2014 and 2018 World Cups, Nigeria conceded three goals to the Argentine captain — a tally matched only by Algeria — making them joint-most breached opponents in his World Cup career. His first goal against Nigeria came in the third minute of their 2014 group stage finale, a close-range rebound finish. He then added a direct free-kick in first-half stoppage time (45+1′) from 25 yards that left goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama rooted to the spot. Four years later in Russia, Messi controlled an Éver Banega pass with his thigh before firing home a 14th-minute right-footed opener in a 2-1 group stage victory.

Messi’s journey to the record began on June 16, 2006, when — aged just 18 — he came off the bench in the 88th minute against Serbia and Montenegro and capped a 6-0 group stage win with a composed tap-in. After his goalless 2010 campaign, he returned in emphatic fashion in Brazil, scoring four goals including a stoppage-time curler against Iran and two against Nigeria. In Russia 2018, his sole goal came in that decisive Nigeria clash.

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar represented the most prolific single-tournament output of his World Cup career, yielding seven goals as Argentina claimed their third world title. He scored penalties against Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, Croatia, and France, added a driven strike against Mexico in a must-win group game, opened the scoring against Australia in his 1,000th career professional appearance, and bundled home a close-range rebound in extra time of the final against France — a match Argentina won on penalties after a 3-3 draw.

At the 2026 World Cup, Messi has continued where he left off. On June 17, he registered a hat-trick in a 3-0 group stage victory over Algeria in Kansas City, scoring in the 17th and 60th minutes before completing the treble in the 76th minute — a finish that drew him level with Klose on 16 goals. Five days later, on June 22 at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, he made history against Austria. Despite missing an early penalty, Messi broke Klose’s record with a left-footed 38th-minute strike before adding a 90th-minute finish to complete a 2-0 win and take his tally to 18.

With Argentina still active in the 2026 tournament, Messi remains in a position to extend his record further.