Leo Messi has been on the podium in the history of the World Cups in matches played, already only surpassed by the Germans Lothar Matthäus and Miroslav Klose.
Messi played his twenty-third game this Saturday at the Ahmad Bin Ali stadium in Al Rayyan and is in a position to even rank first in the all-time table.
The Argentina captain equalized with the Italian Paolo Maldini and was one behind Klose, whom he will reach in the quarterfinal match of Qatar 2022 against the Netherlands, and two behind Matthäus.
Messi made his debut in the second game for the Albiceleste in the World Cup in Germany, played at the Schalke Arena in Gelsenkirchen, against Serbia and Montenegro, which they defeated 6-0. He replaced Maxi Rodríguez in the 75th minute and was in charge of closing the account for the team led by José Pekerman.
He was 19 years old and only started one of the three games in which he participated, unlike what happened after South Africa 2010 under the baton of Diego Maradona on the bench.
The Argentine ’10’ is playing his fifth World Cup final phase in Qatar, like the Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo, who follows him among those who are present in the current edition with twenty games. This Monday he will play on the 21st against Switzerland.
In total, Messi has won 15 of the games he has played, drawn three and lost the other five, the last in the Qatari debut against Saudi Arabia. He has scored nine and is now just one behind Gabriel Batistuta.