The next FIFA World Cup won't be held until 2026, but there is already a sense of excitement for the tournament, with 16 cities in three countries hosting it.
The competition will be held from June 11 to July 19, 2026 in Canada, Mexico and the United States. This is the first time it will be hosted by three countries and the first World Cup in North America since 1994. This 2026 World Cup has another first, as it will host 48 teams instead of the usual 32.
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Over the years, many legendary players have left their mark on the competition, with some competing in the World Cup finals multiple times. So, as the countdown to the tournament continues, we've taken a look at the players who have featured in the most matches at the World Cup.
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The players who participated most in the Men's World Cup |
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|---|---|---|---|
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Rank |
player |
Nation |
Toilet applications |
|
1 |
Lionel Messi |
Argentina |
26 |
|
2 |
Lothar Matthäus |
Germany |
25 |
|
3 |
Miroslav Klose |
Germany |
24 |
|
4 |
Paolo Maldini |
Italy |
23 |
|
5 |
Cristiano Ronaldo |
Portugal |
22 |
|
6= |
Diego Maradona |
Argentina |
21 |
|
6= |
Vladislav Zmuda |
Poland |
21 |
|
6= |
Uy Seller |
West Germany |
21 |
|
9= |
Hugo Lloris |
France |
20 |
|
9= |
Javier Mascherano |
Argentina |
20 |
|
9= |
Philip Lahm |
Germany |
20 |
|
9= |
Bastian Schweinsteiger |
Germany |
20 |
|
9= |
Cavu |
Brazil |
20 |
|
9= |
Grzegorz Lato |
Poland |
20 |
14
Grzegorz Lato (Poland)
20 matches
First on this list is Grzegorz Lato, who has 100 caps for Poland. The former winger participated in four World Cup finals as a player, playing a total of 20 matches.
Lato's best achievements for his country were third-place finishes in 1974 and 1982, but on a personal level, he also had a good goalscoring record, scoring 10 goals in the competition.
13
Cafu (Brazil)
20 matches
Cafu is one of the most famous Brazilian players to have played the game and is still very much talked about today by those lucky enough to have watched him play.
The Brazilian has participated in four separate World Cups, captaining his national team in the last two tournaments. Cafu played 20 times in the World Cup, and although he did not score a single goal, he made up for it by winning the tournament twice, in 1994 and 2002.
12
Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany)
20 matches
former Germany Midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger played 121 international matches for his country and was in three World Cup squads.
The midfielder played 20 matches in the competition, scoring two goals and providing six assists. The 2014 World Cup was a memorable tournament for the former Bayern Munich midfielder, as he finally secured a piece of silverware with his country.
11
Philipp Lahm (Germany)
20 matches
The player who played with Schweinsteiger for Germany and Bayern Munich is Philipp Lahm.
The former Germany captain, who lifted the 2014 World Cup, also played 20 World Cup matches, although he had more minutes than his former teammate with 1,920 minutes than Schweinsteiger with 1,656 minutes.
In addition to winning the title in Brazil, Lahm opened the World Cup in Germany in 2006 with an outstanding goal against Costa Rica.
10
Javier Mascherano (Argentina)
20 matches
Javier Mascherano was a very important player for club and country during his playing days, earning 147 caps for Argentina.
The former midfielder participated in four World Cup finals with his country but was unable to achieve success, as the farthest the team reached while he was in the squad was the final in 2014, where they lost 1-0 to Germany.
Mascherano played in 20 World Cup matches during his career, making him one of Argentina's most capped players at a World Cup.
9
Hugo Lloris (France)
20 matches
France Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris has participated in four World Cups, with his last appearance coming in the 2022 final against Argentina.
Lloris has appeared 20 times in the competition, keeping eight clean sheets along the way.
Lloris is lucky enough to call himself a World Cup winner as he played a huge role in his country's success in 2018. He is also the French player with the most World Cup appearances.
8
Uwe Seeler (Germany)
21 matches
Uwe Seeler was a former German national team player who participated in 72 international matches with his country, including 21 World Cup matches.
Seeler scored nine goals and provided eight assists during those matches, but was unable to be part of the team that won the tournament, the closest they came when England defeated West Germany at Wembley in 1966.
7
Wladyslaw Zmuda (Poland)
21 matches
Wladyslaw Zmuda is another former Poland international who represented his country in four World Cups. He was awarded the Young Player of the Year award after the 1974 World Cup, where his performances at centre-back took Poland to the third-place play-off, where they beat Brazil.
Zmuda was also captain of the team that was eliminated in the semi-finals in 1982, losing to eventual winners Italy.
6
Diego Maradona (Argentina)
21 matches
Diego Maradona is another Argentine player who has played in many World Cup finals for his country.
Maradona played 91 caps for his country, scoring 34 goals in the process, and was viewed at the time as one of the greatest to have played the game.
Maradona played 21 World Cup matches and had an impressive record in the competition, scoring eight goals and providing eight assists. The Argentine was also a World Cup winner in 1986.
5
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
22 matches
Many soccer fans may not be surprised to see Cristiano Ronaldo near the top of this list since he has been playing soccer for a long time and it doesn't look like he's going to stop anytime soon.
Ronaldo has played in five World Cup finals, playing a total of 22 matches, but it can be said that his record when it comes to goals is disappointing, with only eight goals to his name. The 39-year-old does not have a World Cup winner's medal to his name, but it is certainly at the top of his wish list before he retires.
4
Paolo Maldini (Italy)
23 matches
Paolo Maldini has long retired from football, but the Italian is still fondly remembered as one of the greatest defenders to ever play the game.
Maldini participated in four World Cup finals with Italy, playing 23 matches, but was never able to win the tournament. The closest Maldini came was in 1994 when Italy reached the final before losing on penalties to Brazil.
3
Miroslav Klose (Germany)
24 matches
Miroslav Klose is arguably one of the greatest goalscorers football has ever seen, especially at international level, having scored 71 goals in 137 appearances for Germany.
Of those 137 appearances, 24 came in the World Cup Finals, a tournament in which Klose excelled, scoring 16 goals. Klose was a member of the Germany team that won the 2014 World Cup and is currently the tournament's all-time top scorer.
2
Lothar Matthäus (Germany)
25 matches
Germany's Lothar Matthäus holds second place for the most FIFA World Cup appearances.
The former midfielder played 25 times for his country in football's biggest tournament, scoring six goals along the way.
Matthäus was part of some great German teams, including the one that won the 1990 World Cup, where he scored 'Der Panzer' in the penalty shootout win over England in the semi-final.
1
Lionel Messi (Argentina)
26 matches
Lionel Messi has played the most matches in the FIFA World Cup, with the Argentine playing 26 matches in five different tournaments.
Messi's first World Cup was in 2006, where Argentina were eliminated in the quarter-finals. He then played in the next four tournaments with varying success, with the last one in 2022 finally seeing him lift the game's biggest trophy.
Messi played a pivotal role in his country's victory, scoring seven goals in 2022, meaning he now has 13 World Cup goals to his name.
