Indian footballer Sandesh Jhingan has praised Argentina's World Cup-winning captain Lionel Messi after the legendary forward became the all-time leading goal-scorer in FIFA World Cup history. Messi scored a brace in Argentina's 2-0 victory over Austria in the ongoing 2026 World Cup, taking his tournament tally to 18 goals, surpassing Germany's Miroslav Klose, who had 16 goals.
Jhingan calls Messi's record 'destined'
Speaking to ANI, Jhingan, who is serving as a pundit for Zee5 during the World Cup, noted the significance of the date. Messi achieved the feat on the same day that Diego Maradona scored his famous 'Hand of God' goal against England in the 1986 World Cup quarterfinal. Jhingan described the accomplishment as something 'that comes from above', written by destiny.
'I think it is an incredible achievement. Sometimes, how we say in football, it comes written from above. I think it was destined for him. In 1986, Maradona scored the 'Hand of God' goal against England, the same day, which was one of the best goals in World Cup history. Breaking the record on the same day and scoring 18 goals, I think it was incredible. And also, more than that, it is a great achievement for Argentina. They have qualified for the next round,' Jhingan said.
Argentina's defensive solidity praised
The Indian defender also highlighted Argentina's defensive strength, which often goes unnoticed. The defending champions have kept a clean sheet in the tournament so far and have been formidable in recent matches. Jhingan pointed out that in their last nine matches, Argentina have scored around 25 to 26 goals while conceding only once.
'Also, for their defence, I think a lot of people do not acknowledge it or don't appreciate it enough. But they are a very solid team defensively. In the last 9 matches, they have scored around 25 goals, I think, 25-26. And they conceded only once. So, I think Argentina is looking very strong. And of course, when you have a talisman like Messi, it is just a joy to watch them, and see how they are doing. And I am sure the country will be very happy and proud,' he added.
Messi's historic milestones
Messi's brace against Austria not only secured Argentina's place in the round of 32 but also set several records. He surpassed Klose's 16 goals to become the all-time World Cup top scorer with 18. He also equalled the record of France's Just Fontaine and Brazil's Jairzinho by scoring in his sixth consecutive World Cup match. Furthermore, Messi now holds the record for the most wins in World Cup history, with 18 victories, surpassing Klose's 17.
According to OptaJoe, Messi is only the second player in tournament history to score his country's first five goals in a single edition, matching Oleg Salenko of Russia in 1994. Messi, who turns 39 on Wednesday, also had 71 touches in the match, making him the oldest striker since 1966 to have 50-plus touches in a World Cup game.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 is being broadcast live and exclusively on ZEE5 in Hindi, English, Malayalam, and Bangla.
