As per usual, Lionel Messi is going draw plenty of attention for everything he does at the 2022 World Cup, especially considering he has hinted that this will be his last go-around on this stage. And it didn’t take long for him to enter the spotlight in Argentina’s first match in Qatar—although the end result was far from what he and his country expected.
Messi scored on a penalty kick 10 minutes into La Albiceleste’s shocking 2–1 defeat to Saudi Arabia, becoming Argentina’s first player to score in four World Cups. Messi had been denied a goal in the opening moments by Mohammed Al-Owais, but after a VAR review gifted Argentina a penalty minutes later, the 35-year-old all-time great delivered. Al-Owais went to his left, and early, allowing Messi to casually roll home his goal.
Messi nearly made it two in the 22nd minute, beating Al-Owais but having it chalked off for offside, with the PSG star just narrowly being behind Saudi Arabia’s high line before coasting in to score.
Two rapid-fire goals in the second half spoiled the occasion for Messi, who fired a late free kick over the crossbar and also had a close-range header saved by Al-Owais in the final minutes.
In defeat, Messi joined Pelé, Uwe Seeler, Miroslav Klose and Cristiano Ronaldo as the only men’s players to ever score in four World Cups. Ronaldo will aim to become the first to score in five when Portugal begins play in Group H.
Messi now has 92 career goals for Argentina, seven of which have come in World Cups (2006, 2014, 2018, 2022). None have come in the knockout stage, though, with Messi scoring against Serbia and Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iran, Nigeria and now Saudi Arabia in group games spread across the four tournaments.
