If Leo Messi plays in the 2022 World Cup, it will be the fifth time that Messi plays in the tournament, a feat which only four footballers have managed up to now. They are Antonio Carbajal, Lothar Matthäus, Gianluigi Buffon and Rafa Márquez.
It was not like on other occasions when Argentina only qualified on the final few matchdays. Argentina have now qualified for the World Cup. That was confirmed after Chile's defeat at home to Ecuador.
If everything goes as planned and Leo Messi does not get injured, he will be part of Scaloni's squad for the World Cup. If that ends up being the case, Messi will be playing in his fifth World Cup, a feat which only four players have achieved so far.
The PSG striker was at the World Cup in 2006 (Qatar), 2010 (South Africa), 2014 (Brazil), 2018 (Russia) and Qatar in 2022 woud make it five. Funnily enough, Messi was teammates with one of those four.
Antonio Carbajal was the first footballer to play in five World Cups (1950, 1954, 1958, 1962 and 1966). Lothar Matthaus was next (1982, 1986, 1990, 1994 and 1998). The German's last World Cup was also Gianluigi Buffon's first as he played in 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014.
The fourth player is Rafa Marquez, Messi's former teammate at Barcelona. The Mexican was at the World Cups in 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018.