Messi became the top scorer of the World Cup selection for the first time in his career.

Argentina's national football team striker Lionel Messi has won the title of top scorer for the 2026 World Cup qualifying tournament for the first time in his career, according to data released on September 10 by the sports statistics company Opta.

This title went to the 38-year-old striker after he retained his leadership in the list of scorers, scoring eight goals in 12 matches, according to the Russian-language Telegram channel of the service.

For comparison, when qualifying for the 2022 World Cup, Messi had seven goals scored, adds Sport-Express. The athlete has also scored three assists this season.

Miguelito (Bolivia) and Luis Diaz (Colombia) shared the second place, with seven goals apiece.

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On September 6, Portugal striker Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 140th goal for the national team in the FIFA World Cup qualification match against the Armenian team and updated the world record. Ronaldo scored goals in the 21st minute of the match, as well as in the 46th. Ronaldo holds the record for the most goals in the international arena, Messi is on the next line.

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