Messi to be named World Cup’s best player again

There were questions over Messi’s readiness for the World Cup before the tournament began, but the Argentine has made a flying start: Miroslav Klose’s record has been broken, Argentina have made serene progress to the knockout rounds, and Leo leads the scoring charts. After a start like that, Argentina quickly climbed in the bookmakers’ estimations.

Argentina’s result at the 2026 World Cup

What other milestones can Leo reach at this tournament, and when will the final full stop be put on his rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo? We look at it all in this piece.

Messi at the 2026 World Cup: the best start of his career

Let us sum up the 2026 World Cup group stage in terms of Leo’s individual achievements:

• Top scorer in World Cup history with 19 goals;

• First player to score in seven consecutive World Cup matches;

• Most World Cup appearances with 29;

• Most World Cup wins with 19;

• Oldest hat trick scorer in the tournament’s history.

Six goals in three matches at the 2026 World Cup: Messi is on fire, and he has never started a World Cup quite this brightly. Three Player of the Match awards, top ratings from WhoScored and Opta: even during his triumphant tournament in Qatar, Leo only truly moved through the gears in the knockout rounds.

Messi goals and assists at World Cups

*After the group stage.

It is worth noting that, apart from the 2022 World Cup, Messi had never scored in the knockout rounds. This current run can be compared with 2014: the Argentine tore through the group stage, but in the elimination rounds he produced only one assist.

However, Argentina’s route at the 2026 World Cup allows him to pad the numbers right up to the semi-finals. The first real problems may only come against the new legend Vozinha.

You can criticise Argentina all you like for their Messi-centric approach, but when Leo is in form, it works beautifully. The tournament in Qatar proved that. At the 2026 World Cup, it is helping again: La Albiceleste have reached the knockout rounds without fuss and currently look like one of the most stable teams in the competition.

That is in contrast to Portugal, where the tactic of give the ball to Ronaldo and let him sort it has brought the national team nothing at World Cups.

Checklist of Messi’s potential achievements at the 2026 World Cup

Leo ticked off his World Cup title ambition in 2022, and the main target at the tournament in America was Klose’s record. Job done: Messi became the highest scorer in World Cup history as early as the second matchday.

Given that the Argentine is already 39, we are unlikely to see the forward at the 2030 World Cup. There is not much time left, but there are still plenty of individual milestones within reach. Let us go through the most realistic ones.

1. Become the World Cup’s top scorer

Although Messi is now the leading marksman in World Cup history, he has never won the Golden Boot. He came close in 2022, but Mbappé finished one goal ahead of Leo.

At the 2026 World Cup, Messi’s chances are strong. The Argentine is currently level with Mbappé, and if both keep scoring at this rate, this could become the greatest goalscoring race in World Cup history.

Who will be the top scorer at the 2026 World Cup?

On the other hand, everything depends on how far the national team go. Leo no longer has a cushion, and his main rival is Mbappé, who has scored nine goals in seven World Cup knockout matches. Kane and Haaland should not be forgotten either.

2. Break Fontaine’s goal record

Just Fontaine scored 13 goals in six matches at the 1958 World Cup, and nobody has really come close to those numbers since. In the 21st century, no player has finished a World Cup with a double-digit goal tally.

FIFA and the new World Cup format come to the rescue. Messi has already produced the best group stage of his career, while the extra knockout round gives him another chance to score.

If Leo keeps scoring at the same pace, he will certainly beat Fontaine’s record, even if it takes him more matches. On the other hand, the opposition will only get tougher, and Messi could either repeat his 2022 surge or leave the national team without goals in the knockout rounds.

3. Become the first player to win the World Cup twice as captain

It would be the perfect ending to the Argentine’s career: two consecutive World Cup triumphs as the national team’s leader and captain. Turning that scenario into reality will be much harder. La Albiceleste may have surged into the top three favourites for the title at 9/2 but we still have not seen the team’s true level when Messi is not dictating the game.

The early draw does favour Argentina. Before the final, they may only have to face either Brazil or England. The other major contenders, including France, the 3/2 favourites, are on the other side of the bracket.

Matches against Uruguay, Croatia or Switzerland could be uncomfortable, but they certainly do not look impassable.

4. Complete a World Cup Golden Ball hat trick

Leo has already made history as the first player to win two Player of the Tournament awards. A third is well within reach. Everything will depend on how far Argentina go. They are not the France Football trophies, but it would still be a fine addition to the collection.

Who will be the best player at the 2026 World Cup?

There are two French players in the top three, and Kane and Yamal should not be ignored either, so Messi faces serious competition. It is hard to see him claiming the award if Argentina go out in the semi-finals and, for example, Mbappé scores the decisive goal in the final.

On the other hand, the Golden Ball criteria are fairly broad, and after a group stage performance like this, one or two more standout displays may be enough for Leo.

5. Become the leading assist provider in World Cup history

Leo has already become the all-time leading scorer. Now the task is simple enough: provide a ninth assist and move clear at the top of the assist ranking, which he currently shares with another Argentine legend, Maradona.

So far, the chances have not really come. And, being honest, there is not exactly a long list of players to supply: the national team’s game is built on the opposite principle.

On the other hand, Leo has left a World Cup without an assist only once, in 2006.

Still, it is unlikely that he will top the assists table outright. Leo technically took the award in Qatar and Russia, but in 2022 he shared it with Bruno Fernandes, Antoine Griezmann, Harry Kane and Ivan Perišić, while at the 2018 World Cup he was level with 15 other players.

In America, Olise is currently running the show. The Frenchman, with four assists after the round of 32, is the main favourite for the award and is likely to break Pelé’s single tournament assist record of six.

Bonus: finally settle the rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo

One last meeting could still happen in America, but even if it does not, Messi’s achievements and influence on the game stand alone. Compared with the number of records the Argentine has broken, Ronaldo’s World Cup numbers look modest: scoring at six World Cups is respectable, but little more.

The Leo and Cristiano Ronaldo duel is still nominally alive. The Portuguese forward scored twice against Uzbekistan and is seventh in the Golden Boot odds at 50/1 But it is hard to imagine Cristiano Ronaldo overtaking Messi either in the scoring race or in the final 2026 World Cup outcome.

After the group stage, the two legends ended up on opposite sides of the bracket and could potentially meet either in the final or in the bronze medal match. It is difficult to believe Portugal will get that far, given the number of top national teams in their path, while Argentina have every chance.

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