Although FIFA awarded the 2026 World Cup Golden Ball to Rodri, the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) offered a contrary perspective to honor Lionel Messi.
One day after the 2026 World Cup concluded, IFFHS announced Messi as the Player of the Tournament thanks to his impressive performance alongside convincing statistical figures.
The 39-year-old superstar closed out his 6th World Cup appearance of his career with 8 goals and 4 assists across 7 matches, becoming the second-highest goalscorer and also ranking second in assists at the tournament. Alongside those impressive numbers, the Argentina captain continued to extend a series of World Cup records he already held.
According to statistics, Messi extended his records in terms of assists, direct goal contributions, successful dribbles, chances created, and goal involvements in knockout-stage matches. Notably, M10 also became the first player in World Cup history to score against 17 different opponents.
Meanwhile, FIFA selected Rodri for the Golden Ball award after the midfielder led Spain to the championship throne. The bullfighting land’s team conceded only a single goal throughout their coronation journey, and Rodri was evaluated as the most crucial factor in the midfield.
However, IFFHS contended that statistical data clearly reflected who was truly the most outstanding player of the tournament. The organization emphasized that Messi played the entirety of all 7 matches for Argentina, totaling 626 minutes on the pitch, directly contributing to 12 goals, including 8 strikes and 4 assists.
IFFHS also praised Messi’s consistency as he achieved an average rating of 8.33 across 7 appearances, maintaining form from the group stage all the way to the final. According to the organization, selecting Messi did not stem from reputation or emotion, but was based on objective data and statistics.
Although unable to help Argentina successfully defend the championship title, Messi’s performance at the age of 39 continues to affirm the class of one of the greatest players in football history. The decision by IFFHS also demonstrates that the debate surrounding the best player award of the 2026 World Cup is likely to persist in the coming period.
