Messi has surpassed Maradona at the World Cups
Lionel Messi set a new World Cup record. In the match against Egypt at the 2026 World Cup, the captain of the Argentine national team recorded an assist and surpassed the legendary Diego Maradona in the number of assists at World Cups.
The Argentine forward now has nine assists in World Cup matches.
In the 2026 World Cup Round of 16 match against Egypt, Messi set up defender Cristian Romero for a goal. This assist marked the 39-year-old’s ninth at the world’s premier soccer tournament. Messi has thus surpassed Diego Maradona’s record of eight assists in World Cup history.
With this achievement, the captain of the Argentine national team became a co-record holder for the most assists in World Cup history. He shares first place with Germany’s Fritz Walter, who also has nine assists. At the same time, there is an important difference between these achievements. Walter recorded his nine assists over two World Cups—in 1954 and 1958. Messi, however, achieved this feat in his sixth World Cup.
At the 2026 World Cup, the Argentine continues to be one of the tournament’s standout players. He is the tournament’s leading scorer, with eight goals to his credit. In terms of assists in this tournament, Messi is currently trailing French midfielder Michael Olise, who has five assists.
For the Argentine, this World Cup could become yet another chapter in his legendary soccer career. Messi previously won the World Cup with the Argentine national team at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and now he continues to set personal records.
What We Know About the 2026 World Cup Round of 16
The knockout stage matches began on July 4. Morocco and France were the first teams to advance to the quarterfinals. Results of the Round of 16 matches:
- Paraguay — France — 0–1
- Canada — Morocco — 0–3
- Brazil — Norway — 1:2
- Mexico — England — 2–3
- United States — Belgium — 1:4
- Portugal — Spain — 0–1
- Argentina vs. Egypt — 3:2
- Switzerland vs. Colombia — in progress
Following its victory over Egypt, Argentina continues its fight to advance to the next stage of the tournament, while Messi has yet another opportunity to make history in world soccer. This was reported on FIFA’s official website.
Brazil’s elimination from the 2026 World Cup following a 1–2 loss to Norway in the Round of 16 was met with intense emotions in the locker room. According to Brazilian media reports, Neymar, with tears in his eyes, addressed his teammates and the coaching staff, thanking everyone for the journey they had shared.
