Continuing his relentless assault on the record books, Lionel Messi is set to reach yet another milestone: his third World Cup final, matching the legendary Cafu as the only players to achieve the feat.
If shackling Lionel Messi on the pitch is a daunting task, finding fresh superlatives to describe his unrelenting record-breaking is proving equally difficult. The dictionary has long been exhausted of adjectives for the iconic ‘number 10’. In a career defined by the extraordinary, one milestone inevitably paves the way for the next; his qualification for a third World Cup final is merely the latest glass ceiling to be shattered.
Messi is set to join Cafu in the history books, becoming only the second footballer to feature in three World Cup finals. The legendary Brazilian full-back, who appeared in the 1994, 1998, and 2002 showpieces consecutively, has held that record outright for 24 years.
The Argentina star reached his maiden final in 2014, enduring a heartbreaking defeat to Germany courtesy of a Mario Gotze winner. He now heads into his second consecutive final, following the historic campaign in Qatar where he finally scaled the summit of the sport in a dramatic penalty shootout against France.
Furthermore, in the eternal comparison with Diego Maradona, the Inter Miami star moves ahead, as the Argentina icon also featured in two finals (86 and 90). Oscar Ruggeri and Jorge Luis Burruchaga are the only other Argentines to have reached a pair of finals, joining an elite group of just 55 players from all nations to have previously achieved the feat.
In total, this will mark the 54th final of his professional career, encompassing 43 club appearances and 11 outings for Argentina.