Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, Messi tops yet another list—that of players with the most World Cup appearances for their national teams.
The legendary Argentine is heading to his sixth World Cup, where he will add to his tally of matches played and solidify his lead. Prior to this, Lionel Messi played 26 matches in the final stages of the five previous World Cups.
The top three also includes German national team players Lothar Matthäus and Miroslav Klose.
And the top 5 in terms of matches played looks as follows (according to Sport-Express data ):
- Lionel Messi (Argentina) — 26 matches (5 tournaments);
- Lothar Matthäus (Germany) — 25 matches (5 tournaments);
- Miroslav Klose (Germany) — 24 matches (4 tournaments);
- Paolo Maldini (Italy) — 23 matches (4 tournaments);
- Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) — 22 matches (5 tournaments).
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