Lionel Messi achieved two historic milestones during Argentina's challenging 3-2 win against Cape Verde in a World Cup qualifying match. The victory, while securing Argentina’s position, was hard-fought and tested the defending champions. Messi now holds the record for the most appearances by a player in World Cup history, surpassing Joaquin del Olmo. He also became the first player to score in six different World Cup editions. Despite the significance of the records, the game highlighted vulnerabilities in Argentina’s defense, requiring a strong performance to secure the win. This match marks an important step in Argentina’s journey to defend their title at the 2026 World Cup.