At 38, Messi Breaks 1957 Record and Reaches 117 Argentina Goals
Messi ends his muscular recovery, scores against Iceland and becomes the oldest player ever to find the net for Argentina. The World Cup kicks off on June 16.
Lionel Messi ended a two-week spell recovering from muscular fatigue in the best way possible: he came on in the second half of Argentina's 3–0 victory over Iceland in Auburn, Alabama, converted a penalty and also played a part in the move that led to the third goal, scored by Thiago Almada.
At 38 years and 350 days old, Messi became the oldest player ever to score for the Argentine national team, surpassing Ángel Labruna, who had netted his last goal for the country on 7 July 1957 at the age of 38 years and 282 days. The number 10 also reached 117 goals in the albiceleste shirt, cementing his status as the all-time leading scorer in the team's history.
With friendly wins over Honduras and Iceland secured, the reigning world champions are preparing for their World Cup opener on June 16 against Algeria in Kansas City, in Group J. The Golmetria model projects a 94.68% chance of Argentina advancing from the group stage and a 13.43% probability of winning the title — figures that reflect their status as favourites but guarantee no outcome.
For Portugal, in Group K, the model points to an 87.28% chance of advancing and a 4.82% probability of lifting the trophy. In the market, both sides carry an implied probability of 9.09% for the title, while the Golmetria model estimates 7.49% for each.