Lionel Messi Wearing Unique 2026 World Cup Shirt With Four Gold Badges

Nick is a combat sports writer and editor for GIVEMESPORT - with eight years of experience in the industry.

Nick started out with the GIVEMESPORT Academy in 2018 and has also previously worked as a combat sports editor for Sportskeeda. In his current role with the site, Nick produces and edits news pieces, features and evergreen articles on a wide variety of sports.

A fan of the sweet science since childhood, Nick has attended over 100 boxing and UFC events including Manny Pacquiao vs Ricky Hatton, Floyd Mayweather vs Miguel Cotto, Deontay Wilder vs Tyson Fury II, Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk and Canelo vs Crawford.

When not writing about boxing or MMA, Nick can be found watching cricket, rugby and darts, as well as cheering on Leeds United at Elland Road.

Argentine legend Lionel Messi made World Cup history during his country's Group J match with Austria on Monday evening as he became the highest goalscorer in the history of the competition.

Messi bagged his landmark goal while wearing a shirt that looked distinctly different to that of his teammates. In fact, his shirt looks different to that worn by every other player at the tournament.

This is because Messi's jersey features four unique patches.

The 38-year-old first lit up the World Cup when he made his tournament debut in 2006. He became the youngest player to represent his country at the tournament, scoring on his debut against Serbia and Montenegro.

In the two decades since, Messi has shone on international football's biggest stage on multiple occasions. The 2026 tournament marks a record sixth World Cup for the diminutive genius.

Messi's greatest moment at the World Cup undoubtedly came in 2022, when he captained Argentina to win the trophy, scoring seven goals and providing three assists.

Despite having already achieved his storybook ending, Messi remains as keen for success as ever. This was on full display during his team's opening group game with Algeria, where the Inter Miami forward notched a sublime hat-trick.

The global superstar showed his resilience against Austria when he recovered from the disappointment of firing an early penalty wide to fire his side in front with a record-breaking goal.

By finding the back of the net at a World Cup for the 17th time, Messi eclipsed Miroslav Klose’s all-time record of 16 goals, which had stood since 2014.

FIFA confirmed before the tournament that certain players would be honoured for their previous accomplishments at the World Cup with special patches on their shirts.

While a number of players have earned these patches, nobody can match Messi. His unique jersey includes the FIFA World Champions Badge for leading Argentina to the 2022 title, as well as the gold tournament sleeve badge awarded only to former World Cup winners.

In addition, he proudly wears patches relating to two personal milestones. He is sporting the Legacy patch for his participation in his sixth World Cup and the Golden Ball patch for being named the best player at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Messi turns 39 on Wednesday, which all but guarantees that 2026 will mark his last run on world football's biggest stage. Judging by the start he has made to his sixth World Cup, retirement may be the only that stops him from adding further accolades to his outstanding legacy.