Lionel Messi added another record to his illustrious FIFA World Cup career on Tuesday, becoming the tournament's all-time assists leader during Argentina's Round of 16 comeback victory against Egypt. This achievement comes shortly after he solidified his position as the competition's all-time leading goalscorer.
Messi, who now holds the record for most assists in World Cup history with nine, surpassed Argentine legend Diego Maradona, who previously had eight assists. The record-breaking assist occurred in the second half when Argentina trailed Egypt by two goals. Messi delivered a pass to Cristian Romero, who headed the ball into the net to begin Argentina's comeback.
Later in the match, Messi scored his eighth goal of the current tournament with a volley from inside the box. This strike also positions him as the sole leader in the Golden Boot race, ahead of rivals Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland. Argentina completed their dramatic turnaround in stoppage time when Enzo Fernández scored the go-ahead goal, assisted by Lisandro Martínez. The team scored three goals in a span of 14 minutes to secure a shocking victory over Egypt.
Argentina is scheduled to face the winner of the quarterfinal match between Colombia and Switzerland in their next game.