Check out the GOAT's stats as he embarks on his final World Cup

Argentina have got off to a shaky start at this World Cup, crashing to a shock 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia.

The South American side went into this tournament as one of the favourites, but it's not the result they had hoped for.

Lionel Messi has won pretty much everything in world football. But not a World Cup.

The striker hopes to smash a few records at this competition in the Middle East - it will help if they get past the group stage!

Here we take a look at what records he has to beat!

Goal machine

Lionel Messi is a goal machine - there's no better way to put it. He simply scores for fun and over the last few years he's broken quite a few records in the process.

The Argentine has scored the majority of his club goals at Barcelona, who he joined in 2003. He left them to play for PSG in 2021. In total, he's bagged 696 goals!

He's netted 90 goals for his country, which makes him Argentina's record goal scorer.

However he has only scored six times for Argentina at a World Cup. He's four goals behind Gabriel Batistuta, who holds the record for 10 goals across three tournaments for Argentina.

So to beat that, he's going to need to pull his socks up and start firing!

Lionel Messi of Argentina celebrates scoring his side's first goal during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group C match between Argentina and Saudi Arabia

An assistant of goals...

Messi is well-known for his goal scoring ability, free kick spectaculars and calm spot kicks... But he's also a supplier of assists.

His chances of beating Brazil's Pele for most assists in World Cup history will really depend on how far Argentina can go. Pele has 10 assists to his name, Messi lags behind with five... but it's a record that is do-able. He just has to rely on his teammates to score!

Record appearances

Barring an injury, Messi should really break this one. Following their opening match v Saudi Arabia, Messi's appearances for Argentina stand at 20.

Diego Maradona currently holds this record, with 21. So even if the unimaginable happens, and Messi's side are knocked out at the group stage, he should be fine! But only just!...

Five World Cups

Lionel Messi first appeared at the 2006 World Cup held in Germany. He's played at every Fifa World Cup since and this tournament will be the Argentine's fifth.

He's accompanied by his rival GOAT... the one and only, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo helps Messi to his feet during a match between Barcelona and Real Madrid when they played against each other in La Liga

The Portugal striker is playing in what is probably his final World Cup too, so this is a record he will likely equal. An appropriate stat for arguably the two greatest players to have ever kicked a football.

Only three other players have made it to five World Cup's - Rafael Márquez (Mexico), Antonio Carbajal (Mexico), nicknamed "El Cinco Copas", and Lothar Matthäus (Germany).

A winner...?

The record for the most wins at a World Cup is held by Germany's Miroslav Klose. The forward has won a record 17 World Cup matches.

It's achievable for Messi to beat this, but only if Argentina improve on their dodgy start. There's no room for any more upsets. With 12 wins in World Cup history, Messi will need to win his remaining group games and go on to lift the trophy if he's to smash this record...