Messi and Mbappé: A Fight for History in the 2026 World Cup
Just 21 days before the start of the 2026 World Cup, Lionel Messi’s legacy remains in the historical statistics of the World Cup. The Argentine star leads with 21 direct goal contributions, a mark that is now threatened by the French Kylian Mbappé.
In five World Cup appearances, Messi accumulated 13 goals and eight assists, establishing himself as the most offensively influential player in the history of the tournament.
Messi’s influence goes beyond his goals. His eight assists equal legends like Diego Maradona, Pelé and the German Uwe Seeler, only behind Didí and Fritz Walter, both with nine decisive passes.
Thanks to this combination of goals and assists, Messi surpasses figures of world football such as Miroslav Klose, historical top scorer of the World Cups with 16 goals, in addition to Ronaldo Nazário, Gerd Müller and Pelé himself, all with 20 offensive contributions.
Other prominent players like Grzegorz Lato and Seeler, with 17 direct participations, and Maradona and Thomas Müller, with 16, also left their mark.Mbappé: The New Threat
Despite Messi’s statistical dominance, Mbappé’s rise threatens to rewrite several historical records. The French forward has 12 goals and three assists in two World Cups, for a total of 15 offensive contributions at the age of 27.
With the 2026 World Cup as his third participation, Mbappé is emerging as the main candidate to approach the record of the Argentine star and establish himself as the new generational reference in international football.
Experienced players like Antoine Griezmann, Ivan Perišić, and Harry Kane, all with 11 direct contributions in World Cups, also arrive at the tournament with possibilities to climb positions.
Cristiano Ronaldo and James Rodríguez record 10 offensive interventions in the top football event.
Although the new 48-selection format will increase the number of matches in the 2026 World Cup, the mark of 21 contributions established by Messi continues to project itself as one of the most difficult figures to surpass in the history of the competition.
