Leo Messi's Quest for History: Can He Break the Record Shared with Diego Maradona at the 2026 World Cup?

Leo Messi is on the cusp of making history at the 2026 World Cup, a tournament where he'll aim to break a record that currently ties him with Argentine legend Diego Maradona.

This incredible milestone is the most assists in World Cup history, a feat that Leo has a real chance of achieving with just a few hours to go before the Albiceleste's World Cup debut against Algeria in their Group J opener on Tuesday.

With a career filled with milestones, Leo will not only be defending the title but also pursuing an incredible record as he takes to the pitch for Argentina. As the Albiceleste captain arrives at the World Cup, he's tied with Maradona for the most assists in World Cup history, with 8 goal assists each.

Leo provided his first assist at Germany 2006 to Hernán Crespo in the 6-0 rout of Serbia and Montenegro. He then added another at South Africa 2010 to Carlos Tévez in the Round of 16 against Mexico, and one more at Brazil 2014 to Ángel Di María for the last-minute goal against Switzerland in the Round of 16.

He then added two more at Russia 2018 in the Round of 16 against France, setting up Gabriel Mercado and Sergio Agüero. But his best performance came at Qatar 2022, where he not only led the team to the championship and scored 7 goals, but also recorded 3 assists: one to Enzo Fernández against Mexico, another to Nahuel Molina against the Netherlands, and the memorable play to Joško Gvardiol that set up Julián Álvarez's goal against Croatia.

The possibility of breaking the tie with Maradona is more real than ever. With just one assist at the 2026 World Cup, Messi will become Argentina's all-time leading assist provider in World Cup history, further expanding a legacy filled with records and accolades.

Leo already holds several World Cup records, including the most matches played in World Cup history and the most matches played for Argentina in the tournament.

Furthermore, at 38 years old, Leo will compete in his sixth World Cup – an unprecedented feat he shares with Cristiano Ronaldo and Mexico's goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa.

Meanwhile, Lionel Scaloni's team, placed in Group J, will make its debut against Algeria on Tuesday, June 16, at Kansas City Stadium in what will be Messi's 200th match in the Albiceleste jersey.

He will then face Austria on June 22, and close out the group stage against Jordan on June 27, both matches at Dallas Stadium.