Argentine Lionel Messi broke the all-time record for most appearances in World Cup finals when he played his 30th match against Cape Verde in the round of 32, surpassing all legends who came before him in the tournament's history.

The Flea started the match, adding a new record to his career full of international achievements, after having shared the previous record with other players.

Messi holds a lead of 4 matches over Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, who sits second with 26 World Cup appearances, and is 12 matches ahead of France's Kylian Mbappé, who has played 18 matches so far.

The Argentine captain's brilliance is not limited to the number of appearances. He also holds the record as the all-time top scorer with 19 goals, and is the second-highest assist provider with 8 assists in an extraordinary career that has engraved his name in gold in World Cup history.

Despite the difficulty of breaking this record, Mbappé is expected to be the foremost contender to challenge it in the future, given his young age and rising level in international competitions.