Lionel Messi is just 90 minutes away from completing another World Cup appearance, already with a historic milestone in his career. The Argentine star, at 39 years old, has shown surprising form, breaking records on several fronts and leading a total of 13 statistical rankings in the tournament. He is preparing for the decisive clash against Spain on Sunday, July 19 in New Jersey, with the possibility of lifting his second major FIFA trophy.
The player’s performance goes far beyond being the main scorer or the biggest assistant in the 2026 World Cup. With eight goals scored and four decisive passes, Messi accumulated a total of twelve direct contributions to the Argentina team, being fundamental in taking them to the final again. These numbers place him at the top, surpassing all other athletes since the beginning of the championship, which kicked off on June 11, in the game between Mexico and South Africa.
However, Messi’s influence transcends goal and assist statistics. Even at 39 years old, the player stands out as the athlete with the highest number of shots in the entire tournament, totaling 34 attempts, of which 18 were aimed at the goal. He is also unrivaled in passes that result in shot chances for his teammates, totaling 25, which represents another record in the current edition of the 2026 World Cup.
The Argentine captain also leads in accurate crosses, with 21 passes that found their way into the opponent’s area. Furthermore, he participated in 44 ball recoveries that generated scoring opportunities and performed 24 successful dribbles against his opponents. These are all marks that put him ahead of the rest in this competition, in which he has already secured the position of player with the most victories and assists in the history of the World Cup.
Messi also stands out in advanced metrics, such as expected goals (xG), reaching 5.3, and expected assists (xA), with 1.41, leading both categories. The Argentine player’s robust performance belies his age, demonstrating that, at 39 years old, he is experiencing a phase of “second youth”, with full impact on all aspects of the game.
Messi’s ability to attract the opposition’s marking is evident, with him suffering 16 fouls, the most in the championship. Furthermore, the Argentine prevailed in 51 duels for possession, another record that underlines his physical and technical dominance. In total, Lionel Andrés established himself as the player who leads the most statistical rankings in the history of the tournament, even before the final whistle against Spain. He is more active and influential than ever.
Messi and Argentina have demonstrated a remarkable unbeaten record in decisive clashes since 2019.
After being eliminated by Brazil in the semifinals of the 2019 Copa América, Lionel Scaloni and Lionel Messi’s team did not lose in knockout matches. This sequence includes two subsequent editions of the Copa América, the victorious campaign in Qatar 2022 and all the knockout matches of the current edition of the World Cup.
This feat represents a historic record in national team football. Spain appears as the last obstacle for Argentina, which, on July 19, in New Jersey, can put its name back in the books. It is worth remembering that only Brazil and Italy, to date, have managed to win two consecutive editions of the men’s football World Cup, which highlights the magnitude of the challenge and possible achievement.
- Lionel Messi’s statistical highlights in the competition
- Lionel Messi records eight goals and four assists in the 2026 World Cup.
- The striker leads 13 statistical classifications in the current World Cup.
- The Argentine national team has maintained an unbeaten record in direct elimination duels since 2019.
