Qatar: Argentina captain and seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi has scripted history once again by becoming the first player to score a goal in all knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup.
The 35-year-old slotted his penalty past France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris to put Argentina in front at the Lusail Stadium. With this goal, Messi has now scored in the group-stages, round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final of the FIFA World Cup.
Messi is also the only player to record an assist in five editions of the World Cup. He is just one assist behind Brazil’s legendary star Pele in terms of assists (Pele has 10 assists, while Messi has 9).
The FIFA World Cup Golden Ball is presented to the best player of the tournament and after scoring 7 goals and registering 3 assists in the 2022 event in Qatar, there was little doubt who would be awarded the honour. Argentina captain Lionel Messi won the Golden Ball and thus became the first player in the history of the tournament to have won the award twice. Messi was adjudged the best player in 2014 as well, when the Albicelestehad finished runners-up to Germany.
