Lionel Messi found the back of the net for Argentina against Algeria, establishing a standalone record by scoring against 11 different nations in World Cup history. Lionel Messi struck a magnificent opener against Algeria in Argentina’s Group J debut at the 2026 World Cup to give his side a first-half lead—and in doing so, he claimed an incredible milestone by scoring against an 11th distinct opponent in tournament history.
Heading into this edition of the World Cup, the legendary talisman shared the record at 10 unique victims alongside Jürgen Klinsmann, Ronaldo Nazário, and Miroslav Klose.
However, Messi officially shattered the deadlock and the history books at Kansas City Stadium in Argentina’s game against Algeria, rewriting the record all for himself.
Over his iconic international career, the Argentine captain has now struck World Cup goals against Serbia, Mexico, Nigeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iran, Croatia, Australia, the Netherlands, France, Saudi Arabia, and Algeria.
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