​Can you wrap your head around the fact that Lionel Messi has already found the back of the net eight times in five World Cup matches? If you’re finding that difficult to accept, you might want to take a seat, because the following statistic once again makes one thing abundantly clear: La Pulga is operating on a World Cup level all his own. If you’re looking for him in the chart below, he stands out as the single dot up there in the top-right corner, unmistakable and unmistakably dominant.
According to Opta, the data powerhouse, the 39-year-old forward has, by a considerable margin, created the most goalscoring chances (46) and taken the most shots (79) across the 2018, 2022, and 2026 World Cups combined. Even mega-stars like Kylian Mbappé can’t keep pace with that level of activity and output. Mbappé, who is twelve years Messi’s junior, sits in second place with 32 chances created and 64 shots. It’s an extraordinarily impressive return—yet it still doesn’t compare to Messi’s consistently superior numbers, even as he approaches his forties. He remains in a league of his own, dominating the competition in ways that few players ever have the opportunity to do.
This article has been translated into English using AI. You can read the original German version here for reference.