June 17, 2026, is a day in football history that will not be forgotten. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo both appeared at the 6th FIFA World Cup. But, once again, Messi got there first.
Argentina kicked off against Algeria at 6:30 AM IST. Messi took the pitch and became the first male player to appear in 6 World Cups.
The milestone arrived on his 200th international cap. It also spanned exactly 20 years since his tournament debut as an 18-year-old in Germany in 2006.
He did not stop at the appearance record. Messi scored all 3 goals in Argentina’s 3-0 victory. He netted in the 17th, 60th and 76th minutes. The hat-trick was the first of his World Cup career.
It made him the oldest player to score a World Cup hat-trick at 38 years and 357 days. The treble took him to 16 career World Cup goals, equalling Miroslav Klose’s all-time record. He also surpassed Pele with 24 total World Cup goal contributions. Messi was substituted to a standing ovation in the 79th minute.
Ronaldo follows
Portugal’s Group K opener against DR Congo kicked off at 10:30 PM IST. That created a 16-hour gap on the very same calendar day. CR7 will become the second male player to appear in 6 World Cups.
He joins Messi in an extraordinary club. Both players have now cemented a 20-year era of dominance at the highest level.
However, Ronaldo has a record Messi can never match. If he scores at any point in this tournament, he will become the only player in history to score at 6 different World Cups. Messi did not score in 2010, making that specific record permanently beyond him.
Cristiano Ronaldo also enters this tournament as the most capped player in men’s football history with 226 appearances. He is also the all-time leading scorer in men’s internationals with 143 goals. One more World Cup goal will equal Eusebio’s record of 9 goals as Portugal’s all-time top scorer at the tournament.
First Player to Play 6 World Cups
Overall, neither player is actually the first person to reach 6 World Cups overall. Brazil’s Formiga played in 7 Women’s World Cups between 1995 and 2019.
Marta and Christine Sinclair both played in 6. Messi and Ronaldo are simply the first male players to achieve the feat. The rivalry never truly ends.
Check Messi vs Ronaldo compstidon in FIFA World Cups. Stats and historical data show that it’s a one-sided contest.
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