Lionel Messi has now played in six World Cups, scored 19 goals, and yet one statistical oddity continues to follow him.
In 24 years of World Cup football, Argentina and Messi have never faced Brazil, Spain, England, Uruguay, Portugal, or Italy on the tournament stage.
Of the traditional football powerhouses, Messi and Argentina have only met three. They played Germany three times, the Netherlands twice, and France once. Argentina lost all six of those matches.
The breakdown across his six tournaments tells its own story. In South Africa 2010, Messi finished the World Cup with 0 goals. Four years later in Brazil 2014, he scored 4 goals, but all came in the group stage against Bosnia, Nigeria and Iran.
In Russia 2018, Messi managed just one goal, and it came against Nigeria, a team he has found the net against multiple times on the world stage. Qatar 2022 was his most prolific tournament with 7 goals, though 4 of those came from penalties as Argentina went on to lift the trophy.
In the ongoing 2026 World Cup, Messi has added 8 more goals to his tally. However, all 8 have come in matches against African countries so far.
That brings his World Cup total to 19 goals, but with none scored or conceded against Brazil, Spain, England, Uruguay, Portugal or Italy. The debate that has followed him for two decades remains the same, dominance against some opponents, and a blank record against several of football’s biggest nations, painting a picture of being shield or protected.
With Argentina still in the 2026 tournament, Messi has the chance to finally change that narrative before his World Cup journey comes to an end, however FIFA is being criticized and accused of undue favoritism to Messi’s Argentina.
People are asking “why is Messi playing against only African Countries in the 2026 World Cup, and why the controversial refereeing in Argentina’s favour?
