Lionel Messi Road To 18 World Cup Goals Super Eagles Favourite Victims
Lionel Messi road to 18 World Cup goals Super Eagles favourite victims Lionel Messi has officially reached a historic milestone in World Cup football, scoring 18 goals across six tournaments, becoming the all-time top scorer in FIFA World Cup history. His latest goals came in Argentina’s 2–0 win over Austria in the 2026 World Cup, where he netted twice despite missing an early penalty.
The Argentine captain first equalized the record before surpassing it, moving ahead of Germany legend Miroslav Klose 16 goals. His consistency across multiple World Cups has now placed him alone at the top of football’s biggest stage. According to historical World Cup data, Nigeria’s Super Eagles are Messi’s favourite African opponent, with 3 goals scored against them in World Cup meetings
Nigeria 3 goals most by any African team vs Mess
- Algeria — multiple goals in later matches including 2026 hat-trick context
- Angola — 1 goal in a friendly
His most iconic African clash remains against Nigeria in the World Cup, where he produced decisive moments including a memorable free-kick in 2014 and a crucial strike in 2018.
- Early World Cups: first goals as a rising star
- 2014 Brazil breakthrough impact, multiple goals including vs Nigeria
- 2018 Russial key goal vs Nigeria again
- 2022–2026: scoring consistency across late career tournaments
- 2026: record-breaking brace vs Austria
Messi’s achievement is not just about the number he became the first player in history to score in six different World Cups, showing unmatched longevity at the highest level.
