Prestigious ranking contradicts FIFA and chooses Messi as the World Cup MVP

Argentina succumbed in the World Cup final against Spain, and Rodri ultimately won the World Cup Golden Ball. However, the IFFHS has awarded Lionel Messi the World Cup Best Player Award. The International Federation of Football History and Statistics has chosen the Argentine as the tournament MVP.

'According to the organization, "this distinction is determined by the IFFHS overall performance index, a rigorous data-based methodology that incorporates weighted ratings of matches, goals, assists, and impact in knockout stages throughout a player's entire World Cup campaign. After the exhaustive analysis of every performance recorded at the 2026 World Cup, the verdict is unequivocal", they say.'

To support its decision, the IFFHS recalls the eight goals that Messi has scored in the eight matches played in the World Cup, in addition to providing four assists. "His average match rating of 8.33 across eight matches is not the product of isolated brilliance; it is the hallmark of sustained, decisive excellence maintained from the opening group stage to the final whistle of the tournament's most consequential matches. It is precisely this consistency under pressure, quantified through the IFFHS weighted rating system, that separates a worthy recipient from the merely outstanding".

Click here to read article