The 2026 World Cup could solely be 10 days outdated however the event has already rewritten soccer historical past.
Not wanting to be outdone by the opposite, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane and Erling Haaland all got here out of the blocks firing of their respective nations’ opening fixtures.
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And because the World Cup’s greatest hitters put together to make their second appearances on the first 48-team competitors, records aplenty look prepared to fall.
From Argentina‘s Messi and Portugal‘s Cristiano Ronaldo extending their World Cup legacies to Mbappe changing into France‘s all-time main scorer, BBC Sport takes a look at an inventory of the foremost records already broken or set to be.
Messi to set new World Cup targets file?
Lionel Messi received the Golden Ball for one of the best participant on the 2022 World Cup [Getty Images]
Since 2014, Germany striker Miroslav Klose stood on his personal with 16 World Cup targets.
But Messi’s beautiful hat-trick in Argentina’s opening 3-0 win over Algeria moved the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner level at the top of the all-time standings and poised to transfer out in entrance on his personal.
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Messi required 27 video games – three greater than Klose – to hit 16 however the 2022 World Cup winner is not going to thoughts.
Lurking shut behind with 14 is France captain Mbappe, who’s now the all-time leading scorer for France with 58, and will effectively have the targets file in his sights himself.
Kane is 4 additional again – however absolutely it’s too far for him this event?
Next up for Messi and Co. in Group J are Austria. Are we about to witness a brand new file?
Kane set to break Lineker’s England file
Harry Kane has scored 81 targets in 115 video games for England [Getty Images]
After watching Messi, Haaland and Mbappe all hit the again of the online, Kane reminded the footballing world what he may do in England’s 4-2 win over Croatia on Wednesday.
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The Three Lions skipper netted twice in Dallas to transfer England prime of Group L and draw degree with Gary Lineker as their all-time leading scorer at World Cup finals on 10 targets.
With Ghana to come on Tuesday evening, Kane may not be degree with Lineker for lengthy.
Wednesday’s recreation additionally meant Kane turned simply the second England participant – after Sir David Beckham in 1998, 2002 and 2006 – to rating at three completely different World Cups.
The Croatia match additionally marked Kane’s a hundred and fifteenth England look, shifting him degree with Beckham among the many nation’s most-capped gamers.
A primary a number of Golden Boot winner?
Kylian Mbappe received the World Cup with France in 2018 [Getty Images]
Sticking with Mbappe, is he going to grow to be the primary participant to win a number of World Cup Golden Boots or will it be England skipper Kane?
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Mbappe struck eight occasions to win the Golden Boot in Qatar in 2022 however faces fierce competitors to retain the accolade.
Kane, additionally with records on his thoughts, received the prize in 2018 with six targets.
Messi, Germany‘s Denis Undav and Canada‘s Jonathan David at present cleared the path on three however Kane, Haaland and Mbappe are only a purpose adrift.
This may be a race for the ages.
Most World Cups scored in
Cristiano Ronaldo has 143 targets in 229 caps for Portugal [Getty Images]
Ronaldo was certain to seem in some unspecified time in the future.
It could have been a lacklustre performance from him in Portugal’s shock 1-1 draw with DR Congo however a file is all the time across the nook.
In 2022, Ronaldo set the file for probably the most World Cups scored in at 5 – 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022 – however Messi has already equalled that.
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But a purpose for Ronaldo on the 2026 version will make it a file six for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Ronaldo turns into oldest outfield participant
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored eight occasions on the World Cup [Getty Images]
But a file did fall for Ronaldo within the opening recreation.
Taking to the pitch in Houston, the Portuguese had joined Messi because the second man to play in six World Cup tournaments.
In doing so, he additionally turned the oldest outfield participant to begin on the World Cup – aged 41 years and 132 days.
The file beforehand belonged to Canada’s Atiba Hutchinson, at 39 years and 296 days when he began on the 2022 World Cup in a bunch match in opposition to Croatia.
Haaland to grow to be Norway‘s main World Cup scorer?
Erling Haaland made his World Cup debut in Norway’s 4-1 win over Iraq [Getty Images]
Where records are falling, Haaland is all the time shut by.
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The Norway striker wanted simply 20 touches to rating twice within the 4-1 win over Iraq and grow to be the primary participant to internet a double for his nation on the World Cup.
Haaland solely wanted one recreation to grow to be Norway’s joint all-time main scorer on the World Cup – levelling with Kjetil Rekdal.
He can transfer away from Rekdal when taking up Senegal on Tuesday morning.
Vozinha amongst oldest stars in World Cup historical past
Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha became one of the stories of the tournament regardless of enjoying in a 0-0 draw.
He made seven essential saves to hold out European champions Spain in Cape Verde’s World Cup debut – and in addition set some records himself.
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At 40 years and 12 days, he turned the oldest participant to seem in a nation’s debut World Cup match, surpassing the file set by Curacao‘s Eloy Room.
Vozinha additionally broke the World Cup file for being the oldest goalkeeper to hold a clear sheet on his finals debut.
Deschamps strikes in on most managerial wins
Didier Deschamps has received the World Cup as a participant and supervisor of France [Getty Images]
France boss Didier Deschamps is one win away from equalling the file for many wins as a supervisor on the World Cup.
Former West Germany supervisor Helmut Schon is on the prime of the all-time listing with 16 victories, and a win for France over Iraq will transfer Deschamps degree.
All being effectively for the Frenchman, he’ll set a brand new file of 17 within the ultimate group recreation in opposition to Norway.
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What a method to finish your time as France supervisor that would be.
Most purple playing cards on the World Cup
There was just one straight purple card proven on the 2022 World Cup [Getty Images]
The file for probably the most purple playing cards at a World Cup stands at 28, in 2006.
In the 2026 competitors, six reds have been brandished already.
Three purple playing cards have been proven in Mexico‘s opening-game win over South Africa, earlier than Bosnia-Herzegovina’s Tarik Muharemovic and Qatar duo Assim Omer Madibo and Homam el Amin quickly adopted.
This tally is greater than the previous two World Cups, the place 4 purple playing cards have been proven in Qatar and Russia.
There remains to be a method to go for this file, however there’s an terrible lot of soccer to come.