Just as with Flashscore's Team of the Tournament, we used our very own internal ratings system to determine the highest-rated player from the 2026 World Cup. The answer was emphatic as Messi's incredible average rating of 8.7 beat superstars like Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise to the Player of the Tournament crown.
The highest-rated player at this tournament, the mercurial, irresistible Messi, proved that he still has something left in the tank, single-handedly taking Argentina to the final.
The little magician scored eight goals and registered four assists, with a hat-trick in the opening game against Algeria a sign of things to come. He often grabbed games by the scruff of their neck when Argentina were in trouble. His superhuman efforts in late comebacks against Egypt and England were mind-boggling.
Additionally, Messi completed the most dribbles (28), created the most chances (25), and created the most big chances (8) - doing this at the age of 39 is hard to comprehend. He also became the second-top scorer in tournament history (21).
This was likely to be the last time we saw Messi set foot on the World Cup stage, and despite Argentina's pretty embarrassing display in their 1-0 final defeat to Spain, the tournament as a whole would be a wonderful way to bow out.
A nation can bask in his greatness now that his World Cup story has ended as their king steps down from the throne. There is nobody like him, and there may never be again.
World Cup 2026
The 2026 World Cup was held from June 11th to July 19th in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The tournament featured 48 national teams and was played in 16 modern stadiums.
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