Lionel Messi made World Cup history with a record-breaking goal for Argentina. Messi broke the World Cup scoring record with his 17th goal and then added an 18th in stoppage time in defending champion Argentina’s 2-0 win over Austria on Monday. Pop sensation Shakira was spotted in the stands at Dallas Stadium on Monday afternoon for the same FIFA World Cup Group J match between Argentina and Austria. Later, she took to her Instagram Stories to hail Messi’s performance.
What Shakira said
Shakira shared a picture of Messi and wrote in the caption, “So proud of you Leo and of everything you’re accomplishing for your family, your country, and the entire Latino community. Your commitment and dedication are an inspiration to so many. Keep shining!”
Shakira has become almost an integral part of the FIFA World Cup since the 2010 song Waka Waka was adopted by the organisation as the official tournament anthem. For the 2016 tournament in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, FIFA partnered with her to create the official anthem, Dai Dai with Burna Boy. Additionally, the singer is also expected to perform at the World Cup final half-time show. She also produced the La La La song for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
About Messi’s historic goal at the World Cup
When asked about his new record and his favourite World Cup goal, Messi admitted he was not thinking too much about past achievements. The Argentine star further reflected on the missed penalty during the match, saying it may have influenced the flow of the game in unexpected ways.
“Honestly, I don’t know. I don’t really even remember them. I’m tired, I don’t have much energy left, and I’m finding it hard to think straight. I’m just going to enjoy this moment and celebrate it with my teammates. I’m making the most of the moment, and I want to see how far we can go together. Today, there was that [missed] penalty, but perhaps I wouldn’t have scored the other goals if it had gone in,” Argentine legend Lionel Messi said, as quoted by FIFA.
Messi had equalled Germany striker Miroslav Klose for the most goals in the World Cup at 16 with his first hat trick at the tournament in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Algeria in the Group J opener last Tuesday night in Kansas City. The record-breaking strike came just days after Messi rolled back the years in Argentina’s tournament opener against Algeria. Playing in his landmark 200th match for the national team, the veteran forward delivered the first World Cup hat-trick of his illustrious career to guide Argentina to a comfortable 3-0 victory. At 38 years and 357 days old, Messi became the oldest player to score a hat-trick in a FIFA World Cup match, surpassing the mark previously held by Cristiano Ronaldo. The achievement added yet another record to an already extraordinary career.