The Argentina national team’s penalty shootout win over the Netherlands in the 2022 FIFA World Cup Quarterfinal round was historic for Paris Saint-Germain forward Lionel Messi on many levels.
Messi was once again a catalyst as a playmaker for the reigning Copa America champions in a World Cup knockout stage match. The PSG star created three goal-scoring chances for teammates and also notched an assist against the Netherlands.
Messi’s assist in the first half of the contest was quite a historic one, as he broke Pele’s record for the most assists ever in the World Cup knockout stages with five.
Over his first three World Cups, Messi recorded a combined two assists in the knockout stages of the sport’s biggest tournament. He later went on to log a pair of assists in Argentina’s round of 16 defeat to France in the last edition of the World Cup.
Overall, the Argentine forward has tallied a total of six goal contributions at the 2022 World Cup with four goals and two assists.