FIFA World Cup final: Records that Lionel Messi can break during Spain match

Argentina will be playing for its second consecutive FIFA World Cup title and fourth overall. Spain's only World Cup championship, on the other hand, was in 2010. The two footballing powerhouses representing Europe and South America will face off in the title clash at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Monday.

All eyes are once again on Lionel Messi, Argentina's talismanic captain, who could settle the "GOAT" debate once and for all by lifting a second World Cup title. He is on the verge of breaking a handful of records when he steps onto the grass, which could well be his final outing in the national colours.

Here are some records that Leo Messi will look to break during the 2026 FIFA World Cup final:

• Leo Messi was a starter when Argentina finished runners-up in the 2014 edition of the tournament. Thus, he is set to match Cafu’s record as the only man to play in three World Cup finals.
• In the Golden Boot race, he is now two behind Kylian Mbappé, who upped his total to 10 goals in the third-place game. The Golden Boot has eluded him, but he had the lead going into the final two matches of this year's tournament. Both Messi and Mbappé had eight goals through the semi-finals, but Messi owned the tiebreaker with one more assist. Mbappé then scored twice Saturday in France's 6-4 loss to England, making him the first player with 10 goals in a World Cup since Germany great Gerd Müller had 10 in 1970.
• Should Messi beat out Mbappé in an Argentina victory, he would be the first Golden Boot winner to play for the champions since Ronaldo scored eight goals when Brazil won the title in 2002.
• No player has captained his country to two World Cup triumphs. After having already led his team to glory in 2022, a repeat will crown Messi the first men's captain ever to lift the trophy twice. Giuseppe Meazza, Bellini, Mauro, Cafu and Daniel Passarella are players to have won two World Cups but were not skippers on both occasions.
• The newly introduced 48-team format means Lionel Messi could also become the first captain to win the 32/48-team style tournament.
• At 39, Messi will become the oldest outfield player to ever feature in a FIFA World Cup final. A goal would also make him the sixth player to score in two separate World Cup finals after Brazilians Vavá and Pelé, West Germany's Paul Breitner, and Frenchmen Zinedine Zidane and Kylian Mbappé.
• If he scores against La Roja, Messi will become the oldest man to score in a FIFA World Cup final match. The record is currently held by Nils Liedholm of Sweden, who scored aged 35 years and 264 days in 1958.
• No player has scored three free-kick goals in a single edition of the World Cup. Messi needs just one more free-kick goal to reach this mark and rewrite another epic chapter in football history.