Lionel Messi Leads Argentina Despite Team Struggles at 2026 World Cup

Argentina is not considered the strongest team at the 2026 World Cup, struggling against mid-tier opponents like Cape Verde and Egypt and showing inconsistent performances since their opening match against Algeria. Even Lionel Messi acknowledged that "there are many things to fix" within the team. However, Messi, at age 39, continues to deliver crucial moments, elevating his play during key instances to provide decisive assists and goals. Against Egypt, Argentina appeared broken for nearly 80 minutes before Messi assisted a goal and scored an equalizer, paving the way for Ansu Fernandez to score the tournament's 3,000th World Cup goal and secure the win. Notably, this marked Argentina's first-ever World Cup victory after trailing at halftime.

Historically, winning the World Cup does not always require being the best team overall but often depends on luck, health, and having a player who transcends expectations. Past examples include Pelé in 1958, Diego Maradona in 1986, Roberto Baggio in 1994, Oliver Kahn in 2002, and Zinedine Zidane in 2006. More recent champions from 2010 to 2018 were teams built as cohesive units with strong academy-trained players. In 2022, Argentina’s team was constructed around Messi like a Formula 1 car, with him leading them to victory.

Messi’s 2026 World Cup stats are remarkable: eight goals in the first five games, the most since Gerd Müller’s ten in 1970, and two assists. His assist against Egypt made him the all-time leader in World Cup assists, surpassing Maradona. Overall, Messi holds records for the most World Cup goals (21), most assists (9), scoring in nine consecutive World Cup matches, and scoring in six consecutive knockout matches. The atmosphere around Messi at this World Cup is likened to a "Michael Jordan moment," as he aims to secure another World Cup title. The question remains who will be his Utah Jazz equivalent in the final.