Messi surpasses Ronaldo in dribbles in a single semifinal, reigniting the GOAT debate

Lionel Messi guided Argentina to the 2026 World Cup final on Wednesday evening in Miami, providing two assists to overturn England (2-1) after falling behind 1-0, at age 39.

The Inter Miami forward first set up Enzo Fernandez for the equalizer, then Lautaro Martinez for the winning goal late in the match. These two assists bring his tournament total to 4 assists, in addition to his 8 goals that make him the competition’s leading scorer.

But it is one precise statistic, noted by Sofascore, that caught attention after the match: Messi completed 9 dribbles in this semifinal alone. Cristiano Ronaldo, meanwhile, managed only 8 dribbles across all four of his last World Cup appearances. A gap that illustrates the Argentine’s physical and technical dominance at an age when most players have hung up their boots.

The comparison is all the more damaging for the Portuguese star given that Ronaldo will likely not play in another World Cup at a competitive level, while Messi is one victory away from a second world title. Having won everything at club and international level, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner now finds himself among the favorites for a ninth individual trophy in 2026.

Argentina will face the winner of the other semifinal in the final, with the ambition of retaining the title won in Qatar in 2022.