Lionel Messi Nears Historic Third World Cup Best Player Award

Lionel Messi is on the verge of making history by potentially becoming the first player to win the FIFA World Cup Best Player award three times. The Argentine star, who played a pivotal role in Argentina's dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over England on July 15, 2026, assisted twice and has been instrumental throughout the tournament. This achievement would extend his record as the only player to have won the award twice before, having received it in 2014 and 2022.

The World Cup Best Player award, given since 1982, has been won once by legends such as Diego Maradona, Kylian Mbappé, and Zinedine Zidane. Messi currently leads the 2026 award race with a 90% chance of winning, surpassing Mbappé after France's elimination. Other contenders include Rodri with 8% and Amin Yamal with 2%. Messi has scored eight goals and provided four assists so far in the tournament.

The list of previous winners includes notable footballers like Paolo Rossi (1982), Maradona (1986), Romário (1994), Ronaldo (1998), Oliver Kahn (2002), Zidane (2006), Diego Forlán (2010), and Luka Modrić (2018). Messi’s potential third win would solidify his legacy as one of the greatest players in World Cup history.