2026 World Cup: Lionel Messi can solidify status as soccer's GOAT with another title

Do you need to win multiple World Cups to be considered the greatest soccer player of all time? Or is one simply enough? Those are questions hanging over Lionel Messi as Argentina begins its quest for back-to-back World Cups on Tuesday against Algeria. Messi, 39 on June 24, is certainly playing in his last World Cup. He even flirted with the idea of retiring after Argentina won its first World Cup since 1986 less than four years ago. But Messi is back for more. And can another win for Argentina vault him over Pelé and all others in debates about who is the greatest player ever? The case for Pelé The legendary Brazilian is the only player ever to win three World Cups. Pelé, now 82, won his first World Cup at the age of 17 in 1958. As he became the youngest player to ever play in the World Cup at the time, he also scored two goals in Brazil's 5-2 win over Sweden in the final. Brazil repeated the feat four years later even though Pelé appeared in just two games due to injury. After England won the 1966 World Cup — the nation has famously failed to reach a World Cup final since — and Brazil didn't make it out of the group stage that season, Pelé added a third World Cup in 1970 before retiring from international play the following season. World Cup hub | Viewer's guide | Rankings | Predictions | Players to watch His goals-to-matches ratio at the World Cup is simply otherworldly. Pelé scored six goals as a teenager in that 1958 World Cup and added four more in 1970. In total, he has 12 World Cup goals in just 14 matches. Messi has one more goal than Pelé does at the World Cup. But he's already played in 12 more matches. Overall, Pelé scored 77 goals across 92 international caps for Brazil and helped revolutionize the game of soccer as he became a cultural icon. After a near two-decade club career at Santos in Brazil, he joined the New York Cosmos for three seasons at the end of his career. Even though he was not the player he once was, Pelé's move to the now-defunct North American Soccer League paved the way for other stars to come to the States long before Messi decided to spend the final years of his career in Miami. Lionel Messi can solidify status as soccer's GOAT with another title Hayden Hodge/Yahoo Sports The case for Messi as GOAT Pelé may have more World Cup trophies, but good luck finding anyone else with a résumé that compares to the Argentina legend. Messi has won the Ballon d'Or, the award for best men's soccer player, eight times. That's three more than any other player. (Note: Pelé was ineligible to win the award, which was given only to European players during his career. In 2016, France Football redid previous awards under the current standards and deemed that Pelé would have won seven Ballon d'Ors.) Messi's club teams have won their leagues 13 times, including in Spain, France and the United States. He won four Champions League titles while at Barcelona, and scored 627 goals across 714 matches with the club across all competitions before moving to PSG in 2021. For his club career, Messi has averaged 1.32 goals and assists per 90 minutes played. Cristiano Ronaldo, the only man who can be considered Messi's modern contemporary, has a career average of 1.11 goals and assists per 90 minutes. Messi also has the top-level longevity that Pelé didn't have. Pelé's last World Cup came when he was 29 years old. Tuesday’s game against Algeria will make Messi the first player to appear in games in six World Cups, though Ronaldo will join him in that club soon after and Mexico's Guillermo Ochoa will as well if he plays at all during the tournament. There's no debating Messi's cultural relevance, either. As the most popular athlete in the world, he's also being introduced to the millions of Americans who aren't soccer fans. Go to any grocery store and simply count how many times you see his likeness. He's everywhere, selling things like potato chips and beer. And a certain home improvement store is even selling a giant inflatable Messi to put in your yard. Why Messi can top Pelé in 2026 Four years ago, Messi had a career-high 10 goals and assists over seven games as he led Argentina to the World Cup title. Yes, four of his seven goals were from the penalty spot, but he played every single minute of the tournament as the focal point of his team's offensive attack at the age of 34. And he scored twice in the World Cup final, including from open play in the 108th minute before the match went to extra time. The tournament was the crowning moment of an indescribable career. And if Messi can lead this Argentina team to another World Cup title, it'll be an even bigger feat. No team has won back-to-back titles since Pelé's Brazil and Argentina enters the 2026 World Cup as an older version of itself without many real tests in the past four seasons. Ángel Di María is the only starter from the 2022 team who isn't returning for 2026. The familiarity among Argentina's starters is a definite asset. But its key players haven't been in the best of form, either. Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool) and Enzo Fernández (Chelsea) had up-and-down club seasons. Center back Lisandro Martínez played just 19 games due to injury at Manchester United. And his defensive partner Nicolás Otamendi is also 38 years old. The attack is stout with Julián Alvarez up front and Lautaro Martinez fully healthy for this World Cup and set to come off the bench. But it also still hinges on Messi, who was still playing Champions League soccer at the time of the 2022 World Cup. Now, he's spent two seasons in MLS, a league that's gotten significantly better but is still behind Europe's top leagues. And it's not like Argentina has tested itself recently against top opponents, either. Yes, Argentina cruised through CONMEBOL qualifying, but its list of opponents since a 1-0 loss to Ecuador on Sept. 9, 2025 are, in order, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Angola, Mauritania, Zambia, Honduras and Iceland. With a favorable group, Argentina should cruise to the knockout rounds — though a 2022-like early stumble isn't out of the question. Remember, the Argentines lost to Saudi Arabia to open the tournament. But the knockout-round path may well include Portugal and England to make another final. To slay those teams, Messi will need to be at the peak of his powers. Argentina isn't good enough to win the tournament if he isn't. That's asking a lot of a man turning 40 less than a year after the conclusion of the tournament. There's also no other player in the world who could shoulder that burden.