Although the 2026 World Cup has been underway for just over a week, it has already begun to reshape football history. Stars such as Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane, and Erling Haaland demonstrated their prowess in their respective opening matches, signaling that numerous long-standing records are likely to be surpassed during this 48-team tournament.
Lionel Messi has reached 16 World Cup goals, matching Miroslav Klose’s record following a hat-trick against Algeria. Meanwhile, England’s Harry Kane moved level with Gary Lineker’s record of 10 World Cup goals after scoring twice against Croatia, while also matching David Beckham’s mark for appearances at three different World Cup final tournaments. Kane additionally reached 115 England caps, tying Beckham’s record.
Cristiano Ronaldo made history in Houston as the second player to participate in six World Cup tournaments. At 41 years and 132 days, he also became the oldest outfield player to start a World Cup match, surpassing the previous record held by Atiba Hutchinson. Should Ronaldo score in this tournament, he will become the first to net goals in six separate editions.
Erling Haaland enjoyed a strong start, scoring twice in his debut to become Norway’s joint all-time leading World Cup scorer. In the goalkeeping ranks, Cape Verde’s Vozinha, at 40 years and 12 days, became the oldest player to feature in a nation’s World Cup debut, also setting a record for the oldest goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet in a finals debut.
Management records are also at stake, with France coach Didier Deschamps approaching Helmut Schon’s record of 16 tournament victories. Additionally, disciplinary statistics are rising; six red cards have already been issued in the 2026 competition, exceeding the totals from the entirety of the 2022 and 2018 tournaments.
