Lionel Messi delivered another decisive display to help Argentina secure a place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, but the Argentine captain was unable to surpass a World Cup record that has belonged to Nigerian great Jay-Jay Okocha for more than 30 years.
The 39-year-old played a central role as Argentina came from behind to defeat England 2-1 in their semi-final at Atlanta Stadium on Wednesday, sending the defending champions into a second successive World Cup final.
England appeared to be on course for victory after Anthony Gordon broke the deadlock in the 55th minute. Thomas Tuchel’s side then adopted a more cautious approach as they attempted to preserve their advantage against an Argentina team increasingly driven by Messi’s influence.
As the match entered its closing stages, Argentina found the breakthrough they had been searching for. With five minutes remaining, Messi was involved in a well-worked corner routine, supplying Enzo Fernández, whose curling effort from outside the area levelled the score at 1-1.
Argentina’s captain then produced another key contribution deep into stoppage time. After creating space on the right flank, Messi delivered a precise cross that sailed over England defender John Stones and found Lautaro Martínez, who headed in the winning goal in the 92nd minute.
The victory secured Argentina’s place in Sunday’s final against Spain and moved them one step closer to retaining the title they won four years earlier.
Messi’s individual statistics highlighted the scale of his impact. He completed nine successful dribbles during the match, more than any other player has managed at the 2026 World Cup so far.
Official Opta and Sofascore figures showed that he also registered 94 touches, created four clear chances and recorded seven touches inside England’s penalty area. England, by comparison, managed the same number of touches inside the Argentine box as Messi achieved on his own.
His dribbling display was particularly notable given that England completed only seven successful dribbles as an entire team throughout the contest.
According to Opta statistics cited by the BBC, Messi also became the first player since detailed records began in 1966 to produce at least nine successful dribbles and two assists in a single World Cup knockout match.
Yet despite those achievements, one long-standing World Cup benchmark remains beyond his reach.
The record for the most successful dribbles in a single World Cup match continues to belong to former Nigeria captain Austin “Jay-Jay” Okocha.
During Nigeria’s Round of 16 encounter with Italy at the 1994 World Cup in the United States, Okocha produced a performance that has become part of football folklore.
Playing at Foxboro Stadium on 5 July 1994, the then 21-year-old completed 15 successful dribbles from 16 attempts against an Italian side renowned for its defensive strength. Among the players in that team were Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Costacurta and Demetrio Albertini.
Over the course of 120 minutes, Okocha repeatedly troubled Italy’s defence as Nigeria pushed their opponents all the way before eventually losing 2-1 after extra time.
Although the Super Eagles exited the tournament, Okocha’s display became one of the defining performances of that World Cup and remains unmatched more than three decades later.
The all-time rankings underline the scale of his achievement. Okocha leads the list with 15 successful dribbles in a single match, ahead of Brazil’s Jairzinho and England’s Paul Gascoigne, who both recorded 13. Diego Maradona, Jamal Musiala and Johan Cruyff each completed 12.
While Okocha’s record remains intact, Messi continues to set standards elsewhere. His semi-final performance extended a sequence of 11 consecutive World Cup matches in which he has either scored or provided an assist.
The Argentine captain also moved to the top of the Golden Boot standings with eight goals and four assists as he prepares to lead his country into another World Cup final, where Spain stand between Argentina and a successful title defence.
