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Messi marked the occasion at the team's Kansas City training base after Argentina qualified for the knockout stage. He leads the tournament with 18 career World Cup goals.
Usa Todaycom reported. Argentina has already qualified for the knockout stage of the 2026 World Cup, and Messi has become the tournament's career scoring leader with 18 goals. Messi has scored all five of Argentina's goals so far in the tournament, including a hat-trick in the opening win over Algeria and a brace in the victory over Austria.
His total places him two goals ahead of Miroslav Klose and Kylian Mbappé. This marks Messi's sixth World Cup appearance, and the fifth time he has had a birthday during the event. On social media, Messi shared a photo of himself with a cake from Pan Caliente, a Kansas City bakery owned by an Argentine pastry chef.
Argentina players posed with him wearing T-shirts featuring personal photos of themselves with the captain. The shirts read: "To the man who changed our lives, gave us unforgettable moments, and made us believe that dreams are possible… The best part wasn’t just seeing it - it was living it with you! Happy birthday, Captain; we love you.
May you be immensely happy," according to a post by forward Julián Álvarez. FIFA, Inter Miami and Barcelona sent birthday wishes to Messi. In his hometown of Rosario, Argentina, around 5,000 children from local schools sang "Happy Birthday," and some brought cakes.
Argentina's next match is against Jordan on Saturday in Dallas.
These outlets didn't split into competing frames — coverage was uniform.
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