21 days before the 2026 World Cup: The influence of Messi’s goal that Mbappé is trying to reach

SPORTS WRITING (EFE). – 21 days before the start of the 2026 World Cup, Lionel Messi’s legacy continues to dominate the historical statistics of the World Cup thanks to his 21 direct goal contributions, a mark that is now threatened by the Frenchman Kylian Mbappé. The Argentina captain accumulated a total of 13 goals and eight assists in five World Cup appearances, becoming the most offensively influential player in the history of the tournament. Messi’s mark is not only explained by his goal-scoring ability, but also by his talent for generating play. His eight assists equal historical records achieved by Diego Maradona, Pelé and the German Uwe Seeler, remaining only behind Didi and Fritz Walter, both with nine decisive passes. Thanks to that combination of goals and assists, Messi surpassed other legends of world football such as Miroslav Klose, the all-time top scorer in World Cups with 16 goals, as well as the Brazilian Ronaldo Nazário, the German Gerd Müller and Pelé himself, all with 20 offensive contributions. Further back, figures like the Polish player Grzegorz Lato and Seeler appear with 17 direct participations, while Maradona and Thomas Müller closed their World Cup careers with 16.

Mbappé emerges as the main threat

Despite Messi’s statistical dominance, Mbappé’s rise threatens to rewrite several historical records. The French forward already has 12 goals and three assists in just two World Cups, for a total of 15 offensive contributions at 27 years old. With the 2026 World Cup as his third participation, Mbappé appears as the main candidate to approach the record of the Argentine star and consolidate himself as the new generational reference of 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 the possibility of climbing positions. One step below appear Cristiano Ronaldo and James Rodríguez, who have 10 offensive interventions in the maximum 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.