Lionel Messi Scored His 20th World Cup Goal, Extended His Streak to 8 Matches

In the critical match played in Miami Gardens, Argentina captain Lionel Messi attracted attention by finding the net against Cabo Verde. The prestige of this goal was not limited to just adding to the score; it also took Messi further by extending his own record of consecutive matches with at least one goal in World Cup finals to eight. This important goal, recorded in the 29th minute of the match, raised Messi's total goal count in his World Cup career to 20 and solidified his title as the top scorer of all time. This success put him two goals clear of second-placed French star Kylian Mbappé, cementing his lead in the tournament's top scorer race.

With the high performance he has shown in the tournament so far, Messi is at the top of the Golden Boot race by signing a total of seven goals in this year's organization. The Argentine star, who stands one goal ahead of his closest rival Mbappé, has charted an incredible form graph by surpassing the 12-goal barrier in his last eight World Cup matches. His teammate Rodrigo De Paul emphasized how valuable his friendship with Messi, with whom he plays both for the national team and Inter Miami, is to him, stating that sharing these moments with him is a great chance. Overall in the match, Argentina displayed a superior game to meet the Cabo Verde nets and left the field as the winning side.

Trying to find results in the early minutes of the struggle, Messi sent the ball just wide with his left-footed shot in the 15th minute. Three minutes later, he could not convert the 25-meter free kick won by being brought down by an opposing player, and Cabo Verde goalkeeper Vozinha controlled the ball comfortably. However, his pressing game started to pay off and did not go unpunished; by making a perfectly timed run towards the goal, he controlled the pass without getting caught by the offside rule and sent it into the nets from close range over Vozinha's left shoulder. This goal was the key to reflecting the team's dominance on the scoreboard and provided Argentina with the advantage needed to advance to the next round.

The competition in the Golden Boot race is not limited to just Mbappé and Messi; the struggle is heating up quite a bit with Norwegian Erling Haaland and English Harry Kane also pursuing the top with five goals each. In addition, names such as Ousmane Dembele, Mikel Oyarzabal, Vinícius Júnior and Ismaila Sarr retain their places in the list with four goals each, but with Senegal's elimination from the tournament, Sarr is out of this race. While Norway, England and France are among the countries guaranteeing the round, Argentina is expected to join the teams rising to the round of 16 with the defeat of Cabo Verde. Messi, considered the greatest player of all time, is looking to close the round to move to the upper stage with his team.

Messi, who does not have a career where he won the Golden Boot award in past tournaments, finished second in the 2022 World Cup with seven goals and third in 2014 with four goals. If there is a tie in goal counts at the end of the tournament, FIFA's tie-breaker criteria of assists followed by the minimum minutes played will come into play. According to pre-match data, Mbappé's 2-0 lead in assists shows that the French star is in an advantageous position compared to Messi in a possible tie. The continuity struggle between the two footballers continues to be one of the most talked about statistical competitions of the tournament, and eyes are on developments in the upcoming matches.