Messi trains with Argentina in Kansas City as study crowns him football's biggest global name

Lionel Messi arrived at Argentina’s $85 million training base in Kansas City this week as a new study confirmed what most of the world already suspects: the 38-year-old remains football’s most searched and most talked-about player on the planet.

Research conducted by Searchbloom, using Google Trends data across both the US market and globally in the two years to May 2026, assigned Messi a peak relative interest index of 100 — the maximum possible score — making him the benchmark against which every other player was measured. Kylian Mbappé was the closest challenger, peaking at 72 following an injury scare in February 2026. Cristiano Ronaldo, confirmed in Portugal’s squad at 41 and widely expected to be playing his final World Cup, reached 65. US captain Christian Pulisic, the most-capped outfield player in American history, registered a peak of just four before his injury during the USA’s 4-1 win over Paraguay.

“Messi does not have a steady baseline. He has valleys and spikes, and the spikes track news cycles with mechanical precision,” said Cody C. Jensen, CEO of Searchbloom. “The index does not lie.”

Harry Kane placed ninth in the overall rankings.

On the training pitch, Messi looked relaxed and sharp. He nutmegged a team-mate with a quick shimmy during a rondo drill and laughed his way through a game of head tennis, all while hundreds of cameras tracked his every touch. A storm had been forecast alongside scorching temperatures, but the session passed without incident.

England legend Paul Gascoigne, watching from the media area, was struck not just by Messi’s quality but by his durability. “I cannot believe he is about to play at his sixth World Cup. That is amazing. But he really looks after himself,” Gascoigne told the Mirror.

Messi turns 39 on June 24, making this tournament a landmark moment on multiple fronts. Tournament organisers estimate around 700,000 fans will visit Kansas City across the competition, with Messi’s presence a significant draw for many of them.

The scale of the security operation surrounding Argentina reflects that status. The team bus travels to training accompanied by a cavalcade of police outriders, and media attending sessions are required to park a mile away and board a yellow school bus to reach the facility. “It is a lot of work,” acknowledged one security official on duty.