1. Lionel Messi - 26 matches
What more can be said about Lionel Messi? With eight Ballon d'Or awards, stepping onto the pitch in the 2022 final helped him break the record for the most appearances in a World Cup of all time – in a tournament that ultimately ended in long-awaited glory .
In 2006, Messi faced a controversial decision from coach José Pékerman when he was benched for Argentina's quarter-final defeat to Germany.
In 2010, it was Germany again, this time winning 4-0 under coach Maradona.
In 2018, he lost 3-4 to France in the round of 16 in a nail-biting match. And for years, a persistent criticism has been leveled: Messi has never scored in the World Cup knockout rounds despite taking 23 shots in 756 minutes of play.
Qatar 2022 erased all records. Messi became the first player in World Cup history to score in the group stage, round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final all in the same tournament.
He directly contributed to 21 goals for Argentina at the World Cup (13 goals, 8 assists) - the most of any player from any country since 1966.
2. Lothar Matthäus - 25 matches
He holds the record for most appearances for the German national team of all time. Matthäus's World Cup career began with two brief appearances in Spain in 1982 and ended in 1998 when he was called up as a replacement for the injured Matthias Sammer.
Despite the heartbreaking beginnings and the final two tournaments, there was glory in between: Matthäus, captain of West Germany, won the 1990 World Cup with four goals – the team's top scorer. After a 1-0 victory over Argentina, he lifted the trophy and subsequently received the Golden Ball. Along with Messi, Ronaldo, and three Mexican players, he is one of six players who have appeared in five different World Cups.
3. Miroslav Klose - 24 matches
The all-time top scorer in the World Cup with 16 goals in 24 appearances across four tournaments. Klose made his debut with a hat-trick of all headers against Saudi Arabia in 2002 – one of only 13 players to score a hat-trick on their debut, but no one has repeated that feat since.
His final tournament was Brazil 2014: his historic 16th goal came in the thrashing of host nation Brazil 7-1. All 16 goals came from just 63 shots – an incredible conversion rate of 25.4%.
4. Paolo Maldini - 23 matches
The legendary Italian defender is the first player on this list who never won the World Cup or the European Championship. Maldini made his debut at Italia '90, playing in all seven matches, keeping five clean sheets. He lost on penalties to Argentina in the semi-finals.
In 1994, another penalty – this time in the final itself, when Roberto Baggio's shot went over the crossbar. In 1998, again from the penalty spot against France. In 2002, he left in bitterness after being controversially eliminated by hosts South Korea. Maldini retired with the record for most minutes played in the World Cup (2,216 minutes) – a record later surpassed by Messi.
5. Cristiano Ronaldo - 22 matches
Cristiano Ronaldo has made 22 appearances for Portugal at the World Cup and, at the age of 40, shows no signs of retiring from football. His most significant achievement was his debut in 2006 when Portugal reached the semi-finals before losing to France.
Subsequent tournaments ended earlier – twice in the round of 16, once in the group stage, and a quarter-final loss to Morocco in 2022. Unlike Messi, Ronaldo has never scored in the World Cup knockout rounds – a surprising gap in his extraordinary career. But he did set a record in Qatar: the first player to score in five different World Cups.
6. Diego Maradona - 21 matches
Maradona led Argentina to victory in the 1986 World Cup with performances unlike anything seen before in history.
He either scored or assisted in 10 of Argentina's 14 goals in Mexico that year.
Five goals and five assists in a single tournament: he is the only player in World Cup history to have achieved that feat.
Maradona is now tied with Messi with 8 assists – a number only achieved by these two Argentinian geniuses.
7. Uwe Seeler - 21 matches
Uwe Seeler was the first player to appear in 20 World Cup matches and the first to score in four different World Cups – just minutes before Pelé in that match.
He participated from 1958 to 1970, taking part in some of the most legendary matches in history, such as the 4-2 loss to England in the 1966 final and the 3-4 defeat to Italy in the 1970 semi-final during the "Match of the Century".
8. Władysław Żmuda - 21 matches
Perhaps the least expected name on this list. The Polish defender represented the national team in four World Cups and was voted the best young player of the tournament in 1974 when Poland finished third.
He participated in the next three editions (1978, 1982, 1986), in which the 1982 edition once again helped Poland win third place.
Żmuda is proof that perseverance and excellence sometimes belong to those who are not at the center of the stage.
Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/nhung-cau-thu-ra-san-nhieu-nhat-lich-su-world-cup-228975.html
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