Lionel Messi vs Mohamed Salah: A look at their international numbers ahead of the Argentina vs Egypt heavyweight World Cup match

Lionel Messi and Mohamed Salah The spotlight in Atlanta falls on two of the greatest players of their generation as Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Egypt’s Mohamed Salah face off for a place in the next round.Man will continue to build an already legendary international career. The latter could be making his last World Cup appearance.Messi has already finished football by leading Argentina to the World Cup title four years ago, but the 39-year-old continues to rewrite the record books. He enters this tournament with seven goals in four games, tied with Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland in the race for the Golden Boot. He also scored in a record eight consecutive World Cup matches dating back to Argentina’s 2022 title, extending his World Cup tally to 20 goals.Meanwhile, Salah remains the face of Egyptian football. The 34-year-old is a four-time Premier League Golden Boot winner and the competition’s all-time top foreign-born goalscorer, but his international legacy continues to grow.In 118 appearances for Egypt, he has scored 66 goals, the second-highest total in the nation’s history, sitting just three behind national coach Hossam Hassan’s record of 69. Salah also holds the Egyptian record for goals at the FIFA World Cup with three goals.In addition to the goals, Salah has helped Egypt reach unprecedented heights on the global stage. The Pharaohs claimed their first ever World Cup victory when they beat New Zealand 3-1 in the group stage before claiming their first win in the knockout stage by eliminating Australia on penalties after a 1-1 draw.The contrast in international biographies is striking. Messi has amassed 124 goals in 203 games for Argentina, winning the World Cup and Copa América, making him his country’s all-time leading goalscorer. Salah’s 66 goals in 118 games underlines his importance to Egypt, with nearly 56% of his international appearances resulting in a goal.

Lionel Messi vs Mohamed Salah: A look at their international numbers

CategoryLionel MessiMohamed SalahAge3934International matches203118International goals12466Goals per match0.610.56World Cup goals203Senior international debut20052011Whether or not this is Salah’s last World Cup remains uncertain. The same goes for Messi, who has yet to commit to another international tournament.But for now, both icons have one more chance to add another chapter to their international legacies, with only one guaranteed to keep the dream alive.