Lionel Messi continued to write history with the Argentina national team, after leading 'La Albiceleste' to a 2-1 victory over England and qualifying for the 2026 World Cup final, in a match where he delivered one of his greatest performances in the tournament.

According to the football statistics network Opta, Messi completed 9 successful dribbles and provided 2 assists against England, becoming the first player since the start of statistical recording in 1966 to achieve this feat in a single World Cup knockout match.

The Argentina captain's achievement did not stop there; he raised his tally to 12 assists in his World Cup appearances, with 10 of them coming in the knockout stages, an unprecedented number in the tournament's history.

Opta confirmed that no other player since 1966 has provided more than 8 assists in World Cup finals, making Messi the sole holder of a new all-time record that reflects his immense impact in big matches.

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Messi also matched his personal best for successful dribbles in a single World Cup match, recording 9 dribbles against England at the age of 39—the same number he achieved against Iceland in the 2018 World Cup at age 30, and against Germany in the 2010 edition at age 23.

These exceptional numbers confirm that Messi still retains his magic, dribbling ability, and game-changing impact despite approaching his 40s, leading many to describe his performance against England as a 'legendary display' proving that his genius knows no age limits.

With this brilliance, the Argentina captain heads into the final against Spain carrying new historic numbers in his pocket, and takes one more step toward writing a new chapter in his exceptional World Cup career.