Lionel Messi extends record as Aïssa Mandi starts against Algeria
Argentina forward Lionel Messi, aïssa mandi, and Algeria met on Tuesday night in a World Cup match that gave Messi his record sixth tournament appearance. The start made him the first player in history to take part in six different World Cups.
Messi has now played in every World Cup edition from 2006 through 2026, moving his total to 27 World Cup matches. Cristiano Ronaldo, who has played 22 World Cup matches, could join Messi in the six-World-Cup club on Wednesday if he plays against the RD Congo.
Messi’s path from 2006
Messi’s World Cup run began in 2006 and has now stretched across 20 years of tournaments. He reached the 2014 final with Argentina, where Germany beat Argentina 0-1 after extra time, and he won the 2022 World Cup with Argentina after the final against France finished 3-3 and 4-2 on penalties.
Those results are part of why this latest appearance drew attention beyond the match itself. Messi did not just add another cap; he added another edition to a record that had tied him to the longest World Cup span of any player before Tuesday night.
Ronaldo’s chance on Wednesday
Cristiano Ronaldo’s position now sits one day behind Messi’s. Ronaldo has appeared in the same World Cup editions as Messi, and Wednesday offers him the chance to reach the same six-tournament mark if Portugal uses him against the RD Congo.
The two players have tracked each other across the same tournament cycle for years, but Messi’s start against Algeria put the record in his hands first. That leaves Ronaldo needing one appearance to match the mark rather than set it.
Argentina against Algeria
For Argentina, the immediate change is simple: Messi’s selection against Algeria pushed him into a record category no other player has reached. For readers following the tournament closely, the match also sharpened the comparison with Ronaldo, whose next outing could close the gap to one appearance.
The next development now sits on Wednesday, when Ronaldo may play against the RD Congo and enter the six-World-Cup group Messi just opened alone.
