Lionel Messi better than ever at 39? Argentina great still thriving and setting World Cup records - Between the Lines
Lionel Messi celebrates his 39th birthday on Wednesday; Argentina great has scored five goals in two group stage games, becoming the outright leading scorer in World Cup history; Between the Lines breaks down his record and examines how he is still thriving
Wednesday 24 June 2026 12:56, UK
Lionel Messi celebrates his 39th birthday on Wednesday having made an astonishing start to the World Cup. After the hat-trick against Algeria that took him level with Miroslav Klose's goal record, he scored twice against Austria to go two clear.
He only needs two more to match his total for the whole of the 2022 edition in Qatar, where he inspired Argentina to the trophy. Now in his record sixth tournament appearance, he somehow looks better than ever, allowing the holders to dream of winning it again.
All this from a player who did not even appear certain to feature. Messi's silence in the months before the tournament fuelled speculation he may not participate. "It's up to him, how he feels in his mind and his physical condition," said Lionel Scaloni in March.
His inclusion was a cause for celebration and it has quickly become clear he is not just along for the ride. Messi has competition for the Golden Boot, with Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland on four goals each. His old rival Cristiano Ronaldo can't be counted out on two.
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But Messi has a cushion at the top of the all-time scoring charts having overhauled Gerd Muller and Ronaldo as well as Klose.
The numbers are remarkable and Messi is contributing more than goals. As well as being the top scorer at the tournament so far, he is statistically the best-performing player according to the Sky Sports World Cup power rankings, which factor in a wide range of metrics.
The interactive graphic below shows the extraordinary extent of Messi's all-round contribution at the tournament so far.
He ranks in the 96th percentile or higher among midfielders and forwards for non-penalty expected goals, shots and passes into the final third. He is in the 92nd percentile for progressive carries and the 86th for open play expected assists.
Scoring, creating, dribbling, passing. He is doing it all. Remarkably, he even ranks relatively highly, in the 72nd percentile, for possessions won, one of which preceded his opener against Austria, swept home in typically ruthless style from Facundo Medina's cut-back.
Less running, more freedom?
It is of course still early in the tournament. Argentina are yet to be tested against top opposition. But Scaloni deserves credit for creating the conditions for Messi to thrive even at his age.
Most importantly, Argentina are succeeding in finding the Inter Miami forward in shooting positions, with all five of his goals so far having come from within the width of the posts. But his touch map highlights his freedom to roam into different areas.
Messi drifts across the front line in search of space, making it difficult to pick him up. He has of course done most of his damage in and around the box but there has also been a high concentration of touches in his own half as he drops deep to link the play.
When he is not in the immediate orbit of the ball, Messi is largely free of responsibility out of possession, with Scaloni careful to surround him with younger players capable of picking up the slack such as Enzo Fernandez, Thiago Almada, Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez.
The result is that Messi is able to conserve energy off the ball to an even more striking extent than usual. According to FIFA, he is covering considerably less ground than any other Argentina player at 7.8km per 90 minutes. As shown in the graphic below, his average is the lowest of any midfielder or forward at the tournament.
He is still capable of bursts of pace to escape defenders, as he showed in the lead-up to his second goal against Austria, but ranks above only centre-backs Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martinez among Argentina players for high-speed runs per 90 minutes as he saves his energy for the moments that matter.
His World Cup record in numbers
Messi's peak years at club level came during his 20s at Barcelona but more than 70 per cent of his World Cup goals, 13 out of 18, have come since turning 30. He has scored twice as many goals across the last two tournaments than the previous four combined.
His first goal against Algeria was his fifth from outside the box, with the other 13 having come from inside the box. He missed the chance to score a fifth World Cup penalty against Austria. In total, 14 of his goals have been dispatched with his stronger left foot.
Algeria are now the opponent he has scored the most goals against at World Cup, level with Nigeria, against whom he scored in group stage meetings in Brazil in 2014 and Russia in 2018.
He has never faced England in a World Cup game, although that could conceivably change during the knockout stage this summer.
His first World Cup goal came as an 18-year-old substitute in a 6-0 win over Serbia in the first of his six tournament appearances in 2006. Twenty years on, he is the ninth player to hold the record for the most World Cup goals in the 94-year history of the competition.
With Argentina already through to the knockouts as Group J winners, and with a longer route to the final in the tournament's expanded format meaning a potentially higher number of games, there can be optimism of more goals to come.
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