Lionel Messi Eyes Just Fontaine’s Historic World Cup Record: How Many More Goals Does He Need?

Buenos Aires: Lionel Messi has already rewritten several chapters of FIFA World Cup history during Argentina's title defense, but another iconic record is now within sight.

The Argentina captain has been in sensational form at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, scoring five goals in his first two group-stage matches, including a hat-trick against Algeria and a brace against Austria. Those performances helped Argentina qualify for the knockout rounds and further cemented Messi's place among football's all-time greats.

While Messi recently became the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history across men's and women's tournaments, attention is now turning to another record that has stood untouched since 1958 — Just Fontaine's tally of 13 goals in a single World Cup.

How many more goals does Messi need?

The answer is straightforward.

Messi currently has five goals at the 2026 World Cup. Fontaine's record stands at 13 goals from the 1958 tournament in Sweden. That means Messi needs eight more goals to equal the record and nine more to break it outright.

Why Fontaine's record is so special

Fontaine's achievement remains one of the most extraordinary records in football history. The French striker scored 13 goals in just six matches during the 1958 World Cup, averaging more than two goals per game. Despite numerous legendary forwards appearing in subsequent decades, no player has managed to surpass his total in a single edition of the tournament.

Even modern stars such as Ronaldo Nazário, Miroslav Klose, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé have previously fallen well short of the mark in individual tournaments.

Can Messi actually break it?

The challenge remains enormous.

Argentina are guaranteed at least one more group-stage match and could potentially play several knockout fixtures if they make a deep run. The expanded 48-team format gives players more opportunities than previous tournaments, but scoring nine additional goals against increasingly strong opposition would still require an extraordinary run of form.

Nevertheless, Messi has already exceeded expectations at the age of 39. His five goals in two matches have placed him among the leading contenders for the Golden Boot and kept alive the possibility of another historic milestone.

Whether or not he catches Fontaine, Messi's latest exploits have once again demonstrated why he remains one of the defining figures of world football. As Argentina progress through the tournament, every goal will bring him closer to a record many believed would never be threatened.