World Cup Qatar 2022: Messi reaches Maradona as the Argentine with the most matches in World Cups

Doha, Qatar.- Lionel Messistarting this Saturday in the duel against Mexico, reached 21 matches played in World Cups, which allows him to reach Diego Maradona as the Argentine player with the most games played in the competition.

Messi debuted in the tournament in Germany 2006 and has been in all editions since then. He reached the 2022 Qatar World Cup with 19 games played, three in 2006, five in 2010, seven in 2014 and four in 2018. Add to this the first two for Argentina in 2022, against Saudi Arabia (2-1 defeat) and now against Mexico, both at Lusail Stadium.

In the first match against the Saudis, Messi He reached the figure of 20 duels in World Cups, equaling Javier Mascherano, whom he now leaves behind. If Messi plays on Wednesday in the third game of La Scaloneta, against Poland, he will already set a new national record by reaching 22.

In this way, he will get closer to the players who have played the most games in World Cups in all history. On this symbolic podium is led by the German Lothar Matthäus (25 between 1982 and 1998), the also German Miroslav Klose (24 between 2002 and 2014) and the Italian Paolo Maldini (23 between 1990 and 2014).

Maradona He played his 21 World Cup matches between the four editions in which he participated, between 1982 and 1994, including the unforgettable Mexico 1986where he led his country to his second and so far last title in this competition.

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Lionel Messi He had surpassed Maradona on Tuesday against Saudi Arabia as the Argentine player with the most World Cup final phases played, with five.

He has a degree in Communication Sciences from the Universidad de Occidente, Guasave Unit, with a specialty in Communication Media. In his career as a journalist, he has carried out work focused on the agricultural, fishing, health, and economic sectors, among others. In 2016 he joined EL DEBATE, where he worked as a local reporter in Guasave, where he also covered the news, sports and police sections. Since 2017, he entered the digital area as a reporter for the website of the newspaper EL DEBATE at www.debate.com.mx, specializing in the Sports section. In addition to taking and passing the “Sports Journalism Workshop” at the University of Guadalajara in its Virtual University system. [email protected]

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