KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Lionel Messi became the second player to score in five World Cups as defending champion Argentina took an early 1-0 lead against Algeria on Tuesday night.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, making his record sixth appearance in the tournament, tapped into an opening in the Algerian defense and easily beat goalkeeper Luca Zidane to score his 14th World Cup goal, sending the blue-and-white-clad crowd at Arrowhead Stadium into a frenzy.
Moments earlier, Messi’s goal was disallowed for offside.
Messi joins Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo as the only players to score in five World Cups. Ronaldo will be the first player of 2022 to play in his sixth World Cup on Wednesday.
Germany’s Miroslav Klose holds the World Cup record with 16 goals, one more than Brazil’s great Ronaldo. Messi’s latest highlight moves him into a tie for third on the career list with Kylian Mbappé and West Germany’s Gerd Muller, who scored twice in France’s 3-1 win over Senegal earlier on Tuesday.
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AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/fifa-world-cup
