Argentina is less than an hour away from a difficult semi-final clash with Croatia at the 2022 World Cup, pitting Lionel Messi’s La Albiceleste against Luka Modrić’s Kockasti at Lusail Iconic Stadium.
Though a wealth of storylines to choose from as Lionel Scaloni and Zlatko Dalić prepare to put faith in the men that have gotten them this far in Qatar, the headlines are once again dominated by none other than Messi himself after the 35-year-old legend earned another feather in his cap across a brilliant footballing career.
When appearing tonight against Croatia, Messi will equal the legendary Lothar Matthäus for joint-most appearances (25) all-time at a men’s World Cup.
Lionel Messi equals the record for most appearances at the men’s World Cup with his 25th match 🍷 pic.twitter.com/F003Bjr1WK
— B/R Football (@brfootball) December 13, 2022
First representing Argentina on the biggest stage back in 2006 in Germany, Messi has gone on to log 170 appearances while bagging 95 goals along the way for the South American giants across five World Cup tournaments but, like many greats before him, has still yet to achieve the ultimate measure of success on a football pitch.
Like the man he just equaled in appearances, and the god-like entity that he continues to chase while donning his nation’s iconic kit, Messi remains on the hunt for his first-ever World Cup winners medal in what is his last chance to secure the game’s top honor before stepping down from the international scene.
