Messi: An African Nightmare – The Stats Speak Volumes

All eyes tonight will be on the clash between Argentina and Egypt in the World Cup Round of 16. Lionel Messi once again takes center stage, having built an impressive record against African opponents in World Cups over the years.

To date, Messi has never lost a World Cup match against an African national team. His streak includes victories against Ivory Coast (2006), Nigeria (2010, 2014, and 2018), Algeria, and Cape Verde in the 2026 World Cup.

Even more impressive is his goal-scoring efficiency. The Argentina captain has already netted 7 goals against African teams in World Cups. In the current tournament, he scored a hat-trick against Algeria in the opening match, then found the net again against Cape Verde in the knockout stages.

Against African adversaries, Messi has been directly involved in numerous goals, contributing several assists in addition to his strikes. It's often in these encounters that he showcases the best of his game – a combination of goals, created chances, and leadership.

However, today's match against Egypt promises to be different. The North Africans have reached the knockout stages for the first time in their history and arrive with immense confidence, led by their captain Mohamed Salah. Egypt eliminated Australia after a penalty shootout and dreams of another upset against the reigning world champions.

For Messi, this will be another opportunity to solidify an already impressive record. Besides never losing to an African team in a World Cup, he continues to break his own records for goals and appearances in the tournament.