World Cup 2026: Five insane Lionel Messi stats

19.07.26 AET World Cup

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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.

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).

Imed Ben Amara |

Editorar, fr

Imed Ben Amara - bilingual sports writer and web editor with experience in football content creation. Since 2021, he has contributed to Foot Africa, providing news coverage and analysis.

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