Who has the most World Cup appearances? Situation explained as Messi on verge of another record

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Who has the most World Cup appearances? Plenty have asked this question after Lionel Messi reached his second World Cup final with Argentina last night.

The 35-year-old also reached the final of the World Cup in 2014, only to suffer defeat to Germany, but as the South American approaches his second taste of the showpiece event, many have wondered who holds the record for World Cup outings.

So, what is the answer? Let’s take a look…

Who has the most World Cup appearances?

Well, Germany legend Lothar Matthaus held the record before last night.

The 61-year-old played 25 games for Germany at the World Cup across five separate tournaments throughout his illustrious career, winning the ultimate prize in 1990.

However, Messi has now joined him on 25 World Cup appearances after Tuesday’s 3-0 win over Croatia in the semi-final.

The Argentine – enjoying his fifth World Cup tournament in Qatar – is widely expected to notch his 26th appearance on Sunday and break the record, should he manage to avoid any injuries between now and then.

List of top 10 appearance makers at the World Cup

Lionel Messi (25)

Lothar Matthaus (25)

Miroslav Klose (24)

Paolo Maldini (23)

Cristiano Ronaldo (22)

Diego Maradona (21)

Uwe Seeler (21)

Wladyslaw Zmuda (21)

Cafu (20)

Philipp Lahm (20)

Most World Cup appearances by country

Brazil currently hold the record for most World Cup appearances by a country with 114 games to their name across 22 separate tournaments.

Player with most World Cup wins

Staying on the trend of Brazil, it is Pele who has the most World Cup wins to his name with three.

The South American legend won the World Cup in 1958, 1962 and 1970 – even to this day, he remains the only player to win the World Cup on three occasions.

Lionel Messi on verge of greatness

Even if he fails to win the World Cup before retirement, Messi will still be widely considered as the greatest footballer to have ever lived.

However, if the Argentina international – who has remarkably won 171 caps for his country – does lift the ultimate prize in Qatar this Sunday, it surely won’t be a debate.

The only stick people have to beat Messi with is his lack of a World Cup success, often pointing to Maradona and Pele’s heroics on the international scene.

Therefore, if Messi can win the World Cup on Sunday – breaking the appearance record in doing so – then he will surely become the undisputed best.