FIFA’s statistics system defines who had the best performance between Messi, Mbappé and Haaland in the World Cup

The first round of the world tournament, played last Tuesday (16), was marked by gala displays from three of the sport’s biggest stars: Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland. As everyone scored and commanded their teams, the discussion about who had the most dominant performance received a technical response through the official metrics system of football’s highest entity.

The number 10 of the South American team had a magical moment when he scored a hat-trick, equaling the historic mark of German Miroslav Klose, who holds the absolute record of 16 goals in world cups. At the same time, the French striker and the Norwegian center forward were not far behind in terms of artillery, as both left their marks with two goals scored in their respective clashes.

The statistical tool used to measure the impact of players on the field was designed by Arsène Wenger. The former commander, who made history at Arsenal with a highly tactical, possession-focused style of play, currently serves as the international federation’s main global development executive.

To arrive at the final numbers, the platform processes a massive amount of information collected during the ninety minutes. The result of this data crossing is divided into three fundamental evaluation pillars: offensive efficiency, ability to create plays and contribution in the marking sector.

When looking at the reports generated after Tuesday’s matches, it is clear that each superstar mastered a different fundamental on the pitch. The Paris Saint-Germain star recorded the highest score in the offensive sector, which has the greatest weight in the algorithm, while the Argentine idol was left in the playmaking. On the other hand, the Nordic top scorer surprised by leading the defensive statistics among the trio, a direct reflection of his strong pressure on the opponent’s ball.

Detailed numbers show each player’s exact score in the system

• Kylian Mbappé: He closed the round with 9.14 in offensive index, 6.85 in creative capacity and 4.16 in recovery actions.

• Lionel Messi: Secured 8.62 points for his attacks in attack, 7.84 in building the game and 4.90 in supporting the defense.

• Erling Haaland: Finished the duel rated at 7.60 in firepower, 4.96 in articulation and 5.37 in combating opponents.

Mathematical average defines the winner in the final balance of performances

The international federation does not officially publish a unified ranking summing up all the attributes, but the extraction of a simple average between the three criteria places the Argentine star at the top of the list, with an overall score of 7.12. The fast French striker secures second place with an index of 6.71, leaving the Norwegian scorer in third place in the comparison, adding 5.97 points to his overall performance.