India, June 17 -- Lionel Messi, the Argentine superstar, scripted history on Wednesday morning after he was named in the team sheet for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group J match against Algeria at the Kansas City Stadium. With this, the 38-year-old became the first-ever player to play in six FIFA World Cups. The forward made his World Cup debut in 2006and has featured in every edition since. The match against Algeria also marked Messi's 200th international cap.

He has played in 26 games so far, scoring 13 goals and providing eight assists. His long wait came to an end in 2022, when Argentina won the World Cup in Qatar, beating France in a thrilling final that went to penalties.

Before 2022, Argentina had come ever so close in 2014, but lost...