Argentinian international Lionel Messi is making headlines at this World Cup.
For his final major tournament, La Pulga has set the world alight with a sensational World Cup campaign, much to the delight of his fans.
The Rosario native will look to write a new chapter in football history in the grand final of the 2026 World Cup, where on Sunday, January 19, the Albiceleste will face off against La Roja.
World Cup: five cruel scenarios that shattered African dreams!
Here are five incredible Lionel Messi statistics from this edition of the global tournament, according to data from specialized platforms Sofascore and WhoScored:
8 goals scored
The former FC Barcelona captain netted a hat-trick in his tournament debut against Algeria, then closed the group stage with three more goals—two against Austria and one against Jordan.
He continued to deliver in the knockout rounds, scoring once each against Cape Verde and Egypt in the round of 32 and round of 16 respectively.
With 8 goals scored, he is the tournament’s top scorer, tied with France’s Kylian Mbappé.
4 assists delivered
La Pulga is the second-best playmaker at the 2026 World Cup, trailing only France’s Michael Olise, who has five assists.
Messi provided his four assists against Egypt (1), Switzerland (1), and finally England (2).
3.6 key passes per match
Lionel Messi has made more key passes than any other player in this World Cup.
With an average of 3.6 key passes per match, he leads ahead of Uruguayan Maxi Araújo (3.3), Egypt’s Mohamed Salah (3.2), Germany’s Florian Wirtz (3.0), and Senegal’s Sadio Mané (3.0).
4.9 shots per match
The Albiceleste captain has fired off more shots than any other player in the 2026 World Cup.
With an average of 4.9 shots per match, he edges out France’s Kylian Mbappé (4.7), Turkey’s Kenan Yildiz (4.7), Mexico’s Raúl Jiménez (4.5), and Senegal’s Ismaïla Sarr (4.3).
An average rating of 9.12
The Inter Miami star has earned the highest rating at the 2026 World Cup, according to the specialized site whoscored.
With an average score of 9.12, he tops the rankings ahead of Norway’s Erling Haaland (8.14), France’s Kylian Mbappé (8.04), Brazil’s Vinícius Júnior (7.90), England’s Jude Bellingham (7.74), and Spain’s Pedro Porro (7.73).
On to glory, again 🔜🏆 pic.twitter.com/GO9Lnqlb7q
— Argentine National Team in English (@AFASeleccionEN) July 15, 2026
Piala Dunia 2026
Piala Dunia FIFA 2026 akan menjadi edisi paling revolusioner dalam sejarah sepak bola dunia. Turnamen ini untuk pertama kalinya akan diselenggarakan di tiga negara sekaligus, yaitu Amerika Serikat, Kanada, dan Meksiko. Selain itu, jumlah peserta juga meningkat dari 32 menjadi 48 tim, membuka peluang lebih besar bagi negara-negara dari berbagai konfederasi untuk tampil di panggung global. Format baru ini akan menghadirkan lebih banyak pertandingan, atmosfer kompetisi yang lebih luas, serta jangkauan penonton yang semakin besar di seluruh dunia.
Dengan skala yang jauh lebih besar, FIFA menargetkan turnamen ini sebagai ajang yang tidak hanya kompetitif tetapi juga spektakuler dari sisi teknologi dan pengalaman penonton. Stadion-stadion modern di berbagai kota tuan rumah telah dipersiapkan untuk menghadirkan pertandingan berkelas dunia, didukung oleh inovasi seperti peningkatan sistem VAR dan pengalaman digital bagi fans. diprediksi akan menjadi tonggak baru dalam evolusi sepak bola internasional, memperkuat popularitas olahraga ini sekaligus menciptakan momen-momen bersejarah yang akan dikenang dalam waktu lama.
