Messi breaks another record in international football

Nearing the twilight of their legendary careers, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, the two GOATs of football, continue to rewrite history, keeping their fans enthralled around the world. Last night Ronaldo became the all-time top scorer in World Cup qualifiers. Messi didn’t take much time to appear on the headlines, breaking the record for most assists in international football.

Messi had missed Argentina’s earlier match against Venezuela, instead featuring for Inter Miami in their Major League Soccer clash with Atlanta United. The 2022 FIFA World Cup winner returned on Tuesday night against Puerto Rico, inspiring Argentina to a resounding 6–0 victory.

The Argentine captain provided two brilliant assists, taking his international tally to 60 assists, the highest ever in men’s international football, surpassing his former Barcelona and PSG teammate Neymar’s record of 59.

With this feat, Messi also edges closer to another milestone— 400 career assists across all competitions.

Not only is Messi first in assists, he is also second in all time international goals (114), just behind Cristiano Ronaldo (143).

In addition to leading the world in assists, Messi now stands second in all-time international goals (114), just behind Ronaldo’s 143. This rare combination of scoring and creating underlines what makes Messi a complete player—an embodiment of both brilliance and balance.

Earlier on Tuesday, Ronaldo became the all-time top scorer in World Cup qualifying history with 40 goals. He even extended his own record by scoring again against Hungary.

However, the Al Nassr forward ended the match in frustration, as Dominik Szoboszlai’s stoppage-time equaliser denied Portugal an early ticket to the World Cup.

A draw against Ireland in November would be enough for Portugal to heave a sigh of relief, as they remain top of Group F with 10 points from four matches, followed by Hungary on five. Ireland climbed to third with four points after beating 10-man Armenia 1–0, who stay bottom with three.

Meanwhile, Argentina have already booked their place topping the CONMEBOL standings, continuing their dominant run in South America’s qualifiers, reports UNB.