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.
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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.
Full coverage · 2 outlets
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