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Live Terminal
Sports · Full coverage

Lionel Messi Poised to Make History as First Three-Time World Cup Best Player

How 2 Israeli newsrooms covered this story — translated into English and compared side by side.

100% center
Center 2

First reported by Mako · Jul 16, 2026

What happened

Lionel Messi is close to becoming the first player to win the World Cup Golden Ball three times after leading Argentina to a 2-1 win over England in the 2026 semifinals. He is the heavy favorite for the award, having already won it twice before.

  • 01Lionel Messi is 90 minutes away from winning his third World Cup Golden Ball award.
  • 02Messi assisted twice in Argentina's 2-1 comeback win over England on July 15, 2026.
  • 03He is the only player to have won the Golden Ball twice, in 2014 and 2022.
  • 04Messi leads the 2026 Golden Ball odds with a 90% chance, ahead of Rodri and Amin Yamal.
  • 05Messi has scored eight goals and assisted four times in the 2026 tournament.
  • 06No other player has won the World Cup Golden Ball more than twice since 1982.

Summary translated & synthesized from the sources below by baba. Read each original for the full report.

In this story
People
Kylian MbappéDiego Maradona
OrganizationsArgentina, France

Full coverage · 2 outlets

The same event, reported separately by each newsroom. Open a few to compare what each emphasizes — and what they leave out.

MakoCenter · HebrewJul 16, 2026
Lionel Messi Poised to Make History as First Three-Time World Cup Best Player
N12Center · HebrewJul 16, 2026
Lionel Messi Nears Historic Third World Cup Best Player Award

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