🇦🇷 Lionel Messi set for historic World Cup night against Algeria | OneFootball

World Cup holder Argentina are primed to defend their crown tonight when they lock horns with Algeria in Kansas City.

And yep, you guessed it, Lionel Messi is already on the tip of the tongue before a ball has been kicked in America's mid-west.

For a man who remains debatably Argentina's greatest-ever player, the chance to deliver back-to-back World Cup triumphs looms large, with the 38-year-old continuing to roll the clock back in MLS with Inter Miami.

With his starting birth secure tonight against Les Fennecs, Messi will make his 200th appearance for the senior Argentine side, with another, more impressive number waiting in the wings amid his one-of-a-kind career.

Upon taking the pitch in just under an hour, Messi will become the first-ever men's footballer to appear in six World Cups, adding to his legacy for La Selección that already has seen him cement his place as the nation's all-time top scorer and appearance maker.

An absolute icon and legend of the beautiful game, and you wouldn't be shocked if he has a few more magical moments left in those boots this summer.

📸 Charlotte Wilson - 2026 Getty Images