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Chris WrightToe Poke writer
With specified days to spell until the archetypal shot is kicked successful Qatar, the 2022 World Cup is astir upon america arsenic shot fans each implicit the globe hole for a mid-season feast of men's planetary action.
As good arsenic planetary glory and sporting immortality connected the line, determination are besides a fig of World Cup records that tin beryllium breached and milestones wrong scope implicit the people of the adjacent 64 games.
Many large names are going into the World Cup connected the verge of making past with their nationalist teams, with immoderate long-standing landmarks apt to beryllium passed during the finals if things spell to program for definite players and teams.
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Cristiano Ronaldo
Ronaldo's World Cup mentation has been overshadowed by his caller interrogation criticising his club, Manchester United, but it shouldn't obscure the information that helium could go the archetypal antheral subordinate successful past to people astatine 5 antithetic World Cups.
The Portugal skipper scored astatine slightest 1 extremity astatine each of the 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018 finals to adjacent the grounds jointly held by Brazil fable Pele (1958, 1962, 1966, 1970) and Germany greats Miroslav Klose (2002, 2006, 2010, 2014) and Uwe Seeler (1958, 1962, 1966, 1970). Therefore, conscionable 1 extremity successful Qatar volition spot Ronaldo determination retired connected his own.
Ronaldo tin remainder casual knowing helium already holds the grounds arsenic the oldest subordinate to people a chapeau instrumentality astatine a World Cup aft notching 3 goals against Spain successful the 2018 radical signifier astatine the property of 33 years and 130 days -- though of people there's ever a accidental helium could widen this peculiar grounds successful 2022. Portugal volition play Ghana, Uruguay and South Korea successful Group H.
Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi has played successful much World Cup games successful full (19 games) than immoderate different progressive player, starring his aged foe Ronaldo by 2 games. It remains to beryllium seen however the 2022 tourney volition cookware out, but each Messi needs to bash is outlast Ronaldo and steer wide of wounded to look from Qatar with that grounds intact.
Sergio Ramos is joint-second alongside Ronaldo connected the database of progressive players (17 games) but, having not been selected by Spain, is improbable to adhd to his tally earlier the extremity of his career.
Germany duo Thomas Muller and Manuel Neuer are conscionable down with 16 games each, and theoretically could overtake Messi successful 2022 should Die Mannschaft marque bully advancement done the knockout signifier portion immoderate disastrous destiny befalls Argentina. The aforesaid goes for seasoned Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera.
Diego Maradona acceptable the Argentina national-team grounds for World Cup appearances with 21 games, meaning that Messi is much than apt to surpass his idol during the people of the 2022 tournament.
If Argentina scope the last with Messi playing successful each 7 matches, helium would surpass ex-Germany midfielder Lothar Matthaus' all-time grounds of 25 World Cup appearances.
While Messi has scored six goals successful World Cup matches, helium has ne'er recovered the nett successful a lucifer beyond the radical stage. However, his 4 assists successful knockout signifier games is simply a World Cup grounds helium jointly holds with Pele since the 1966 tourney (which is arsenic acold backmost arsenic reliable information extends).
Ronaldo vs. Messi
The duplicate goliaths of the modern crippled are acceptable to articulation an exclusive radical of players successful past to look astatine 5 antithetic men's World Cups. Messi and Ronaldo volition articulation Matthaus and Mexico brace Antonio Carbajal and Rafael Marquez arsenic the lone players to play astatine 5 finals during their careers. Mexico seasoned Andres Guardado could besides marque it connected to the transportation astatine a 5th finals should the 36-year-old midfielder diagnostic for El Tri astatine Qatar 2022.
Several different players person been included successful 5 World Cup squads during their vocation but fell abbreviated of making appearances astatine each of them. For example. Gianluigi Buffon has been included successful 5 Italy World Cup squads (1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014) but remained an unused substitute astatine France '98.
Similarly, Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa has go a tourney staple and has been included successful his 5th World Cup squad successful 2022. However, "Memo" served arsenic a back-up successful 2006 and 2010 and didn't marque it onto the pitch.
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All-time apical scorers
There are a mates of salient forwards who are wrong striking region of becoming their nation's all-time grounds extremity scorer during the Qatar World Cup.
Neymar heads into the tourney having scored 75 goals successful 121 games for Brazil, leaving him conscionable 3 goals shy of usurping Pele's grounds for the Selecao which has stood since 1971.
Meanwhile, Harry Kane is besides conscionable 3 goals distant from breaking Wayne Rooney's grounds and becoming England's caller all-time highest extremity scorer. The Tottenham Hotspur prima has 51 goals successful 75 games for his country, portion Rooney bowed retired with 53 goals successful 120 appearances.
What's more, Kane won the Golden Boot astatine Russia 2018 with six goals, putting him 2nd connected England's tourney goal-scorer database down Gary Lineker (10 goals). A glut of goals successful Qatar could spot Kane interruption 2 incredibly awesome national-team records successful 1 fell swoop.
Streaks
As good arsenic being grouped among the favourites to assistance the trophy successful Qatar this winter, Argentina besides travel into the 2022 World Cup arsenic the undisputed signifier squad successful satellite football.
Lionel Scaloni's broadside are connected a formidable 35-game unbeaten streak that stretches each the mode backmost to July 2019 -- specifically the third-place playoff astatine the 2019 Copa America. The Albiceleste won 2-1 to assertion bronze connected that fateful time and haven't mislaid a azygous lucifer since. In fact, they've adjacent returned to the Copa America successful that clip and won it, successful 2021.
What's more, Argentina request to adhd conscionable 3 much games to their phenomenal tally to surpass the grounds of 37 men's planetary games without nonaccomplishment acceptable by Italy betwixt October 2018 and October 2021. Argentina, who bushed the European champions 3-0 erstwhile they met successful June's intercontinental Finalissima astatine Wembley, could acceptable the caller grounds against Mexico successful their 2nd Group C lucifer successful Qatar.
Speaking of streaks, a doff of the headdress is owed for Wales, who volition play their archetypal World Cup finals lucifer for 68 years, frankincense ending the longest-running tourney lack of immoderate 1 state successful the FIFA competition's 92-year history.
Canada are besides acceptable to marque lone their second-ever quality and their archetypal since 1986, the 2nd longest lack among each the nations that person qualified for the 2022 finals successful Qatar.
Speaking of Wales, United States caput manager Gregg Berhalter volition marque World Cup past erstwhile his broadside look Gareth Bale & Co. successful their opening Group B crippled astatine the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium successful Al Rayyan connected Monday.
At the property of 49, Berhalter volition go the archetypal antheral to person represented the U.S. astatine a World Cup arsenic some a subordinate and a coach, having antecedently taken to the tract for the USMNT astatine the 2002 and 2006 tournaments.
Information from ESPN's Stats and Information Group was utilized successful this report
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