Lionel Messi, Player with the Most Appearances in the World Cup
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Argentina's national team captain, Lionel Messi, became the top scorer in World Cup history after scoring a hat-trick against Algeria in the opening match of Group J of the 2026 World Cup at Arrowhead Stadium in the United States on Wednesday (17/6/2026).
These three additional goals brought Messi level with the record of German legend Miroslav Klose, who also scored 16 goals in the World Cup.
La Pulga still has the chance to increase his goal tally, given that Argentina is still competing in this tournament.
In addition to competing in the top scorer list, Messi is also noted as the player with the most playing time in World Cup history.
According to Transfermarkt data, Messi has appeared for 2,395 minutes in 27 World Cup matches throughout his career.
This record surpasses the previous record held by Italian legend Paolo Maldini, with a total playing time of 2,217 minutes.
Here is the list of the 10 players with the most playing time in the World Cup according to Transfermarkt data as of June 18, 2026:
- Lionel Messi (Argentina): 2,395 minutes
- Paolo Maldini (Italy): 2,217 minutes
- Lothar Matthäus (Germany): 2,047 minutes
- Uwe Seeler (Germany): 1,980 minutes
- Javier Mascherano (Argentina): 1,950 minutes
- Philipp Lahm (Germany): 1,920 minutes
- Diego Maradona (Argentina): 1,909 minutes
- Manuel Neuer (Germany): 1,860 minutes
- Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal): 1,854 minutes
- Hugo Lloris (France): 1,830 minutes
From this list, it is noted that only Lionel Messi, Manuel Neuer, and Cristiano Ronaldo are currently active players on the field.
"Disclosure: This is an AI-generated translation of the original article. We strive for accuracy, but please note that automated translations may contain errors or slight inconsistencies."
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