Lionel Messi has topped the 2026 FIFA World Cup’s successful dribbles chart with 28 completed dribbles, finishing ahead of Spain’s Lamine Yamal and England’s Jude Bellingham, according to data compiled by Squawka.
The debate about whether Lionel Messi still has it can officially be put to rest — at least on this particular metric.
The 39-year-old Argentina captain has finished the 2026 FIFA World Cup as its most successful dribbler, completing 28 dribbles across the tournament — more than any other player, according to data published by Squawka.
Daily Post reports that the achievement is all the more striking given Messi’s age. He beat out an entire generation of the sport’s most electric young talents to claim the top spot, finishing one ahead of Spain’s Lamine Yamal — widely regarded as one of the brightest prospects in world football — who recorded 27 successful dribbles in second place.
England’s Jude Bellingham rounds out the top three with 18 successful dribbles, well behind the top two but comfortably ahead of the rest of the field.
The full top ten, per Squawka, makes for fascinating reading, with France placing three players in the list and Brazil’s Vinicius Jr. tying with France’s Michael Olise and Kylian Mbappé in joint fourth.
2026 FIFA World Cup — Successful Dribbles (via Squawka):
- Messi (Argentina) — 28
- Lamine Yamal (Spain) — 27
- Bellingham (England) — 18
- Vinicius Jr. (Brazil) — 16
- Olise (France) — 16
- Mbappé (France) — 16
- Musiala (Germany) — 15
- Maza (Algeria) — 14
- Doku (Belgium) — 13
- Barcola (France) — 13
Messi’s Argentina face Spain — who contributed the second-place dribbler in Yamal — in Sunday’s World Cup final.
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