Ananya Lohia , Mexico - Argentina captain Lionel Messi etched his name deeper into football history on Wednesday by becoming the first player ever to feature in six FIFA World Cups. The 38-year-old achieved the milestone after being named in Argentina’s starting lineup for their 2026 FIFA World Cup Group J clash against Algeria at Kansas City Stadium.

Lionel Messi made football history on Wednesday by becoming the first player ever to feature in six FIFA World Cups. The 38-year-old achieved the milestone after being named in Argentina's starting XI for their 2026 FIFA World Cup Group J match against Algeria at Kansas City Stadium. The match also marked Messi's 200th appearance for Argentina. Having made his World Cup debut in 2006, the Argentine captain has now played in every edition of the tournament for two decades.

Messi entered the World Cup with a minor hamstring injury but was declared fit by coach Lionel Scaloni after impressing in training and scoring in a warm-up match against Iceland. Scaloni described the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner as "essential" to Argentina's campaign. The 2022 World Cup winner now aims to lead Argentina to back-to-back titles, a feat achieved only by Italy in 1938 and Brazil in 1962. Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo could become the second player to appear in six World Cups if he features for Portugal against DR Congo.

With another historic achievement added to his illustrious career, Messi now has his sights set on leading Argentina to a second consecutive World Cup title. If Argentina successfully defend their crown, Messi would join football legend Pele as one of the few players to win back-to-back World Cups, further cementing his status among the greatest players in the history of the sport.