Lionel Messi don show again why e be the greatest footballer wey ever play the game. Di 39-year-old Argentine captain don break another record as e score for seven consecutive World Cup matches, a feat wey nobody don do before.
E happen for Arlington, Texas, where Argentina defeat Jordan 3-1 for di group stage finale. Messi, wey no start di match because Argentina don already win di group, come enter for di 60th minute as substitute. Twenty minutes later, e score a free kick from just outside di penalty area, wey di ball low pass di wall and enter di left corner of di net.
Dis goal na im 19th for World Cup, extending im all-time record as di top scorer for men’s World Cup history. E also make am di first player to score for seven straight World Cup matches, surpassing di previous record of six wey France striker Just Fontaine and Brazil great Jairzinho hold.
Messi now get 123 international goals for 202 appearances, second only to Cristiano Ronaldo wey get 145. Di free kick goal be im second for World Cup, after e score one against Nigeria for 2014. E join Pelé, Rivellino, Teofilo Cubillas, Bernard Genghini, and David Beckham as players wey score two free kick goals for World Cup since 1966.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni talk say, “What you dey see, I dey see di same thing. E dey uncomfortable to answer every time because I no know wetin to talk again.”
Messi don score six goals for dis tournament, two clear of Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Junior, and Erling Haaland. Di knockout round go begin for Friday for South Florida, and if Argentina go all di way to di final on July 19, dem go play five matches for 17 days.
Scaloni add say, “Today e fit play 90 minutes, but e want im teammates to get time on pitch and save himself for wetin dey come. E no dey think about di numbers wey people dey talk.”
