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Records Shattered at the Expanded 2026 World Cup
🇲🇽 Mexico /Sports

Records Shattered at the Expanded 2026 World Cup

From El Universal · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Sources not specified Outcome reported
  • The 2026 World Cup, expanded to 48 teams and 104 matches, set numerous historical records.
  • Kylian Mbappé emerged as the all-time top scorer with 22 goals, surpassing Lionel Messi and Miroslav Klose.
  • Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo joined an elite group by participating in their sixth World Cup, with Messi also becoming the oldest player to score a hat-trick.

The 23rd edition of the FIFA World Cup in 2026, hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, concluded by setting a multitude of historical records. The tournament's expansion to 48 teams and 104 matches fundamentally reshaped the competition, leading to unprecedented statistical achievements across various categories.

The club of the 6 World Cups: Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and the Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa joined the select group of players who have participated in six versions of the World Cup, an absolute record of longevity.

— Article TextHighlighting the achievement of players participating in six World Cups.

Kylian Mbappé of France claimed the title of the all-time leading scorer, netting 22 goals throughout the tournament. This remarkable feat saw him surpass Lionel Messi, who had reached 21 goals, and the previous record holder Miroslav Klose's mark of 16 goals set in 2014.

The author of the oldest hat-trick: At 38 years old, Lionel Messi became the oldest player to score a hat-trick in World Cup history, in the debut against Algeria (3-0).

— Article TextDetailing Lionel Messi's record as the oldest player to score a hat-trick.

Longevity in the sport was also highlighted, with Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa achieving a significant milestone by participating in their sixth World Cup. Messi further etched his name in the record books by becoming the oldest player to score a hat-trick, achieving this in Argentina's opening match against Algeria.

Cristiano Ronaldo consolidated himself as the first and only player to score at least one goal in six different World Cup editions.

— Article TextNoting Cristiano Ronaldo's unique scoring record across multiple World Cups.

Cristiano Ronaldo solidified his status as the only player to score in six different World Cup editions. The tournament also witnessed a remarkable scoring surge, with Mbappé, Messi, Jude Bellingham, and Erling Haaland all surpassing seven goals in a single edition. The third-place playoff match between England and France, ending 6-4, became the highest-scoring match for third place in World Cup history and the most goal-laden match since Hungary's 10-1 victory over El Salvador in 1982. Additionally, Cape Verde made history as a debutant, advancing to the round of 32 undefeated in the group stage.

The debutant Cape Verde made history: With goalkeeper Vozinha as leader, the African team participated for the first time in a World Cup, finished the group stage undefeated and advanced to the round of 32 competitors.

— Article TextHighlighting Cape Verde's historic debut in the World Cup.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Universal in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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