Lionel Messi denied top billing in FIFA's World Cup rankings despite record-breaking group-stage show

Lionel Messi scored six goals in the group stage at the 2026 FIFA World Cup

Updated on: Jun 29, 2026, 20:09:25 IST

Written by Aratrick Mondal

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Lionel Messi may have produced one of the greatest group-stage performances in FIFA World Cup history, but it still wasn't enough to earn him the No. 1 spot in FIFA's official power rankings from the preliminary stage.

Lionel Messi #10 of Argentina looks on during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group J match between Jordan and Argentina at Dallas Stadium (Getty Images via AFP)

The Argentina captain, who celebrated his 39th birthday last week, finished second among all attacking players despite a record-breaking run that powered the reigning world champions to a perfect group-stage campaign.

Battling injury concerns before the tournament, Messi announced his arrival in spectacular fashion with a hat-trick against Algeria. He followed it up with a brace against Austria to become the highest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history across both the men's and women's tournaments.

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He then came off the bench against Jordan in Argentina's final group-stage match and found the net again, becoming the first men's player in history to score in seven consecutive World Cup matches, surpassing France legend Just Fontaine and Brazil great Jairzinho.

Those performances earned Messi a rating of 8.34 in FIFA's attacking power rankings—higher than every player except one.

Germany forward Deniz Undav topped the rankings with a score of 8.36, while France star Kylian Mbappe (8.13) finished third, followed by Brazil's Vinicius Junior (7.92).

FIFA's latest power rankings after the group stage

Undav vs Messi at FIFA World Cup 2026

Undav edged ahead of Messi through sheer efficiency. Remarkably, the Germany striker has yet to start a match at this World Cup. His three substitute appearances total just 86 minutes, yet he has scored three goals and provided two assists.

He struck once and set up twice during Germany's 7-1 demolition of Curacao in just 26 minutes before scoring both goals in the 2-1 win over Ivory Coast. The 28-year-old is averaging one goal every 28.7 minutes and one goal contribution every 17.2 minutes in the tournament.

"I accept the role," Undav said recently when asked about not starting matches.

"If I weren't happy, if I weren't content, I wouldn't be here."

Messi, meanwhile, leads the Golden Boot race with six goals in just 200 minutes across three matches, although he is yet to register an assist.

Germany will face Paraguay in the round of 32 on Monday, where Kai Havertz is once again expected to start ahead of Undav despite the decision attracting criticism, with the Arsenal forward yet to score since his brace against Curacao.

Argentina, meanwhile, will take on Cape Verde on Sunday in the round of 32 after the African nation completed a dream unbeaten run through the group stage.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aratrick Mondal
Aratrick Mondal is a senior sports journalist based in New Delhi. In his eight years as a sports writer, Aratrick has worked at leading media organisations, including The Times of India, Times Now, Zee, India TV and currently works at a senior position at Hindustan Times Digital. He writes on cricket, football, pickleball and tennis, among other sports. He has extensively covered India's evolving cricket landscape, the country's new-found love for private leagues such as Indian Pickleball League (IPBL), Ultimate Kho Kho League (UKK), Rugby Premier League (RPL) and several tennis leagues. He has closely covered emerging sports such as pickleball. His coverage of major franchise events lends an atmospheric flavor to his ground reports. His recent story on how SA20 (the domestic cricket league of South Africa) had opened up its grounds to create a carnival-like fan experience garnered major international attention, including appreciation from major cricketers. Tennis holds a special place in his heart. Aratrick has built a strong niche in analytical tennis stories—ranging from Grand Slam narratives and player profiles to tactical breakdowns and ranking trends. His long-form features often decode grand slams, career highs and lows of tennis greats and the upward trajectory of emerging stars. He also closely follows India's tennis landscape, having covered the Davis Cup, Bengaluru Open and Tata Open, among others. His reporting is backed by strong data capabilities, with hands-on experience using tools like Python, Tableau, and Excel to produce visually rich, insight-led stories. This data-first approach enhances accuracy, transparency, and trust. In leadership roles, he has managed editorial shifts, overseen homepage strategy, optimised SEO workflows, and mentored peers to deliver consistent, high-traffic journalism. He recently won the HT DigiStar award for the third quarter of financial year 2025-26. Aratrick is trusted for his balanced reportage, sound sourcing, and ability to translate complex sporting events into engaging narratives that speak to a wide audience. He believes sports is for everyone, not just for the enthusiasts and has a unique ability to bring people together - just like the sumptuous meals you'll often find him cooking on a weekend evening.Read More

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