Lionel Messi celebrated his 39th birthday on Wednesday while enjoying a highly successful World Cup campaign. Argentina, the defending champions, have already secured a place in the knockout stage, and Messi has become the tournament’s all-time leading scorer.
The Argentine captain marked his birthday with teammates at the national team’s training camp in Kansas City, Missouri. This is Messi’s sixth World Cup appearance and the fifth time he has celebrated his birthday during the competition. The only exception was the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which took place in November and December.
So far, Messi has scored all of Argentina’s goals in the tournament, netting a hat-trick in the opening victory over Algeria and adding two more goals against Austria. His World Cup tally now stands at 18 goals, surpassing both Miroslav Klose and Kylian Mbappé.
To commemorate the occasion, Messi shared a photo on social media showing himself with a birthday cake and several teammates. The cake was made by Pan Caliente, a Kansas City bakery owned by an Argentine pastry chef.
Another photo showed Argentina’s players posing with Messi while wearing T-shirts printed with personal pictures of themselves alongside their captain.
According to a social media post by forward Julián Álvarez, the message on the shirts read: “To the man who changed our lives, gave us unforgettable memories, and inspired us to believe that dreams can come true. The greatest gift was not just witnessing it, but experiencing it with you. Happy Birthday, Captain. We love you and wish you endless happiness.”
Birthday wishes also poured in from FIFA, Inter Miami, and Barcelona, among many others.
Meanwhile, in Messi’s hometown of Rosario, around 5,000 schoolchildren gathered to sing “Happy Birthday,” with some even bringing cakes to celebrate the football icon’s special day.
