Beyond Messi's Goals And Assists: The Numbers Behind His 2026 World Cup Run

Published: Jul 17, 2026 8:23 PM • Updated: Jul 18, 2026 12:27 AM • Original source

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Lionel Messi's 2026 World Cup has been historic, and his eight goals and four assists only scratch the surface.

Aside from the goal contributions, Messi has been dominant in several ways— through balls, take-ons, possessions won, and several other advanced metrics. It's absolutely incredible just how versatile the 39-year-old has been through seven games of the tournament. He's currently -800 to win his third Golden Ball award, and +100 to win the Golden Boot.

Here's a deeper dive into the numbers behind Messi's brilliance this tournament, ahead of the World Cup final between Argentina and Spain on July 19.

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Lionel Messi in FIFA World Cup semifinal vs. England (Photo by Liu Lu/VCG via Getty Images).

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