Lionel Messi World Cup 2026 stats and odds

Argentina survived another major scare to produce a stunning comeback and beat Egypt 3-2 in their 2026 World Cup Round of 16 clash.

The reigning champions recovered from a two-goal deficit by scoring three times in the final 15 minutes to book their place in the quarter-finals, although Egypt were left aggrieved by what they felt were inconsistent refereeing decisions in Atlanta.

Cristian Romero sparked the fightback by pulling a goal back 11 minutes from time before Lionel Messi, who had earlier missed a penalty, restored parity five minutes later.

Enzo Fernandez then completed the remarkable turnaround two minutes into stoppage time, powering home Lautaro Martinez's cross with a superb header to set up a quarter-final meeting with Switzerland.

Ahead of Argentina's last eight meeting with Switzerland, we take a closer look at Messi's key stats and betting odds.

Lionel Messi World Cup 2026 stats

• Appearances: 5
• Goals: 8
• Assists: 1
• Yellow cards: 0
• Red cards: 0
• Shots per game: 5.8
• Scoring frequency: 51 mins
• Big chance created: 6
• Big chance missed: 3
• Ground duels won: 5.8
• Key passes per game: 3.2
• Tackles per game: 1.2
• Expected goals (xG): 5.00
• Distance covered: 6 km

With eight goals to his name, Messi leads the Golden Boot race, although the battle remains finely poised. Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland are just one goal behind while Harry Kane have found the net six times.

The spotlight will once again fall on the Argentina captain when he faces Switzerland, who booked their place in the last eight after beating Colombia in the penalty shootout.

Unsurprisingly, bookmakers expect Messi to have a major influence, with the 39-year-old priced at 19/20 (1.95) to score anytime and 5/1 (6.0) to net a brace against Switzerland.

Lionel Messi World Cup 2026 odds

The following are selected standout individual odds for Messi in Argentina's World Cup 2026 group game against Switzerland.

• To score anytime: 19/20
• To make an assist: 3/1
• To score last: 3/1
• To score first: 3/1
• To score a hat-trick: 25/1
• To score 2+ goals: 5/1
• To be shown a card: 15/2
• To be sent off: 66/1
• To score or assist: 8/15
• To be booked first: 15/1

Messi's outstanding form makes several of his player markets worth considering ahead of the clash with Switzerland. The Argentina captain is priced at 19/20 (1.95) to score anytime and 3/1 (4.0) to provide an assist, both of which are probable due to the form he is in.

Those seeking bigger odds could look at Messi to score first or last at 3/1 (4.0) while 25/1 (26.00) for a hat-trick may also attract interest following his three-goal display against Algeria.