MIAMI GARDENS, FLA. (WSVN) - Lionel Messi hopes to lead Argentina to a second straight victory in what may be his last World Cup.
He goes by many nicknames in the futbol world, whether it be “La Pulga,” meaning the flea for his small physical stature and explosive play, or even “The Messiah,” known by many to be a promised savior on the pitch performing many “miraculous” feats.
But there’s one name Messi is looking to solidify: The GOAT, the greatest of all time.
Messi has already had a whirlwind of a tournament during the FIFA World Cup 2026, and his next destination is Miami Stadium, the Miami Gardens venue known as Hard Rock Stadium outside of the World Cup.
The soccer icon, who turned 39 last month, will be looking to show everyone what the Argentine champ is made of.
Since the start of Argentina’s journey in the World Cup, Messi has hit many milestones.
From that first whistle blow against Algeria, he became the first player to appear in six World Cups, and during that game, he scored his first ever World Cup hat trick.
He also became the oldest player to score in a World Cup match at the time.
And it was there where he tied the record for the most goals in World Cup history. In his next game against Austria, he surpassed that record.
Then in the next game, Messi came off the bench against Jordan and scored a free kick, which turned him into the first player to ever score in seven consecutive World Cup matches.
Messi now has 19 career World Cup goals.
And, after passing swiftly through the group stage matches, Argentina is onto the Round of 32, where Messi will be put to the test against Cape Verde at Miami Stadium. The game is set to kick off Friday at 6 p.m.
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