Argentina captain Lionel Messi has surpassed the late Diego Maradona in a remarkable World Cup statistic, according to football data provider Opta.
Messi dedicated Argentina’s 2-1 comeback victory over England in the FIFA World Cup semifinal on Wednesday to the memory of Maradona. The defending champions overturned an early deficit in Atlanta to book a place in Sunday’s final against Spain.
The 39-year-old assisted both of Argentina’s goals against England and paid tribute to the 1986 World Cup-winning legend after the match.
“Diego was truly great. I never wanted to compare myself to him because, in my opinion, he is the greatest of all time,” Messi said.
“Wherever he is today, he will be happy, enjoying all of this because of what the national team meant to him and the legacy he left behind. This is a precious gift for him,” he added.
According to Opta, Messi and Maradona are the only two players over the past 60 years to rank at the top in both total shots and chances created during a single World Cup campaign.
Maradona recorded 29 shots and created 30 chances during Argentina’s victorious 1986 tournament, while Messi has registered 34 shots and created 25 chances at the 2026 World Cup, giving him the edge in the combined attacking metrics.
