Sports Desk: Lionel Messi has once again etched his name in football history, becoming the top assist-maker in men’s international football. The Argentina captain provided two assists during a commanding 6-0 victory over Puerto Rico at Chase Stadium, taking his career total to 60, surpassing Neymar and Landon Donovan, who each have 58 assists.
Messi set up goals for Alexis Mac Allister and Lautaro Martínez, with Martínez scoring twice. Gonzalo Montiel added another, and an own goal from Steven Echevarría completed the rout for the reigning world champions. The milestone adds yet another chapter to Messi’s storied international career, which began with his first assist at age 19 during Argentina’s 6-0 win over Serbia at the 2006 World Cup.
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Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo continued to extend his legendary career at age 40. The Portuguese forward scored twice in a 2-2 draw against Hungary, taking his World Cup qualifying goals tally to 41, the most by any player in history. Ronaldo first equalized after Ádám Szalai’s opener and added a second before halftime, moving closer to an unprecedented 1,000-goal career milestone, with 143 international goals and 947 across club and country.
Despite Ronaldo’s heroics, Portugal’s 2026 World Cup qualification remains uncertain until next month. Two decades after they first shared the world stage, Messi and Ronaldo continue to define football’s highest standards — one rewriting records with vision and playmaking, the other with unmatched finishing.
