Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will compete in their sixth World Cup. Guillermo Ochoa will also reach six calls, while several historical World Cup records could be equaled or surpassed in the 2026 edition.
Among them are the 17 victories and 16 goals of the German Miroslav Klose, as well as the record of five World Cups played by Antonio Carbajal, Andrés Guardado, Rafael Márquez and Lothar Matthäus, a mark that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will surpass by participating in their sixth World Cup.
Along with them, Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa will attend his sixth World Cup, although he only participated in four of the previous ones.
1 – Six World Cups
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will set a new record by playing in six World Cups. Until now they shared the mark of five participations with the Mexicans Antonio Carbajal, Andrés Guardado and Rafael Márquez, as well as the German Lothar Matthäus.
Guillermo Ochoa will also make six World Cup calls, although he only played in four editions.
2 – Klose’s 17 victories
Miroslav Klose accumulated 17 victories in 24 World Cup matches between 2002 and 2014.
Lionel Messi is one victory away from equaling that figure and could surpass it during the 2026 tournament.
3 – Klose’s 16 goals
Klose is the all-time top scorer in the World Cup with 16 goals.
Before the 2026 edition, Lionel Messi has 13 goals and Kylian Mbappé 12. Harry Kane and Cristiano Ronaldo also appear further back, both with eight goals.
4 – Batistuta’s two triplets
Gabriel Batistuta is the only footballer to achieve two triplets in different World Cups, in 1994 and 1998.
Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappé, Cristiano Ronaldo and Gonçalo Ramos could equal that mark.
5 – The three finals of Cafú
The Brazilian Cafú played in three World Cup finals: 1994, 1998 and 2002.
Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé have accumulated two finals each and could get closer to that record.
6 – Shilton and Barthez’s 10 clean sheets
Peter Shilton and Fabien Barthez share the record of 10 games without conceding a goal in World Cups.
Thibaut Courtois reached seven before the tournament and has a chance of reaching that number.
7 – The 25 games directed by Helmut Schön
German Helmut Schön coached 25 matches in World Cups.
Didier Deschamps, with 19 caps before 2026, could surpass that mark if France advances to the final rounds.
8 – The oldest goal in a World Cup
Pepe scored at the age of 39 years and 283 days in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, becoming the oldest goal scorer in a final phase.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric and Edin Dzeko appear among the candidates to surpass that record.
9 – The oldest technician
Otto Rehhagel led Greece in South Africa 2010 at the age of 71 and set the record for the oldest coach in a World Cup.
Miroslav Koubek and Dick Advocaat could surpass that mark during the 2026 edition.
10 – The 11 games as a substitute for Denilson
The Brazilian Denilson played 12 World Cup matches, 11 of them coming off the bench.
Marcus Rashford, with nine substitute appearances before 2026, is close to equaling or surpassing that record.