Lionel Messi made FIFA World Cup history on Saturday night, becoming the first player to score in seven matches in a row.
The Argentina captain broke new ground in his side’s 3-1 win over Jordan in the final group game. The goal stretched his run past the previous mark of six straight games, a record he had shared with France’s Just Fontaine and Brazil’s Jairzinho.
It was also his 19th World Cup goal, extending his record as the tournament’s all-time leading men’s scorer.
Playing his first match since turning 39 three days earlier, Messi struck in the 80th minute. Brought down just outside the box, he curled a low free-kick through two defenders and into the left corner.
The goal was Messi’s 72nd career free-kick and his 12th for Argentina. He now has 123 international goals in 202 caps – second only to Cristiano Ronaldo’s 145.
Messi had been one of three men to score in six consecutive World Cup games, alongside Fontaine in 1958 and Jairzinho in 1970.
His strike against Nigeria at the 2014 World Cup was also a free-kick. Since records began in 1966, he is now one of six players to score two World Cup goals from direct free-kicks, joining Pelé, Rivellino, Teófilo Cubillas, Bernard Genghini and David Beckham.
More: NBC
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