Breaking records seems to be the theme of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where the excitement of dramatic penalty shootouts, thrilling victories, and tense matches is making history in real-time. As each game unfolds, new names are etched into the annals of the sport, while others further cement their legendary status.
The tournament is far from over, yet it has already rewritten the history books.
With a historic expansion to 48 teams, this World Cup has already become the most extensive in its 96-year legacy. These additional matches have been a fertile ground for record-breaking feats.
Thus far, the tournament has seen an astonishing 294 goals across 101 matches, averaging nearly three goals per game—this dramatically surpasses the record set in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where 172 goals were recorded in 64 matches.
Add to this, the co-hosts—Mexico, the USA, and Canada—are celebrating another milestone with a record-breaking attendance of 6.5 million fans as of 15 July. This astounding figure shatters the previous high of 3.6 million that the US set back in 1994.
The expanded game has also meant that smaller countries could join the tournament. With a population of just over 150,000, Curaçao became the smallest nation to ever compete in a FIFA World Cup, and the smallest country to ever score a goal at a World Cup.
Finalists Spain also broke a record early in the tournament, becoming the first team to play six World Cup games without conceding a goal.
Lionel Messi breaking record after record
Playing in his sixth World Cup — which already nets him a record, alongside Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo — Lionel Messi has played in more World Cup matches than any other in history (32).
With 21 goals to his name over those six tournaments, the veteran Argentine star has also smashed the record set by Miroslav Klose, who scored 16 for Germany in 24 World Cup appearances between 2002 and 2014.
Messi can also lay claim to being the oldest player to score a World Cup hat-trick, at 38 years and 357 days old.
Ronaldo held that record before him, netting a hat-trick at the age of 33 years and 130 days in 2018 in Russia.
Messi has also scored in more consecutive matches than any other player in the tournament’s history. He’s scored in nine consecutive games across the two latest World Cups.
With a semi-final game against England on Thursday standing between him and the final, Messi has plenty of opportunities to add to these stats.
Erling Haaland’s incredible debut
Erling Haaland, the charismatic 25-year-old Norwegian striker, has become one of the most prolific debutantes in the tournament’s history.
Despite exiting the competition in the quarter-finals, he leaves as Norway’s highest World Cup goal scorer, with seven to his name across just four matches.
The tally also makes him one of the top 10 goalscorers in a debut World Cup, tied with Grzegorz Lato, who scored seven goals for Poland during his debut in 1974.
They rank behind France’s Just Fontaine (13 goals), Hungary’s Sándor Kocsis (11 goals), West Germany’s Gerd Müller (10 goals), Brazil’s Ademir and Portugal’s Eusébio (nine goals each) and Argentina’s Guillermo Stábile (eight goals).
Players breaking records for their teams
Two-time grand-finalists France may be out of contention for the top gong in 2026, but 27-year-old forward Kylian Mbappé has solidified his position as one of the world’s best players.
He finished the tournament tied with Messi for goals scored. He has eight to his name.
The Les Bleus captain will finish the 2026 World Cup as the French player with the most appearances (21), breaking Hugo Lloris’ previous record of 20.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored three goals in this year’s tournament, taking his total to 11 and making him Portugal’s all-time top World Cup scorer.
This year’s tournament has also seen England captain Harry Kane reach 14 career World Cup goals, the most of any England player, overtaking Gary Lineker’s 10.
Like Messi, he has at least one match to go before his tournament ends, so Kane might be able to beat his own record before the competition’s end.