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Lionel Messi surged to the top of the World Cup Golden Boot standings with six goals across Argentina's three group-stage matches, yet FIFA's official performance rankings from the group stage place him second among forwards.
Messi made a statement entrance at the tournament, delivering a spectacular hat trick against Algeria before scoring twice against Austria and adding another against Jordan, establishing a record for finding the net in seven consecutive World Cup appearances.
Those displays earned Messi a rating of 8.34 on FIFA's attacking performance rankings, well ahead of virtually every other player in the group stage — except one: Germany's Deniz Undav.
Top Ten on FIFA's Attacking Power Rankings
Player | Nation | Score (Out of 10) |
|---|---|---|
Deniz Undav | Germany | 8.36 |
Lionel Messi | Argentina | 8.34 |
Kylian Mbappé | France | 8.13 |
Vinicius Junior | Brazil | 7.92 |
Johan Manzambi | Switzerland | 7.57 |
Ousmane Dembélé | France | 7.53 |
Erling Haaland | Norway | 7.33 |
Crysencio Summerville | Netherlands | 7.09 |
Elijah Just | New Zealand | 7.09 |
Ismael Saibari | Morocco | 7.08 |
How Deniz Undav Outshone Messi in World Cup Group Stage
In the race for this summer's Golden Ball — the prize awarded to the tournament's standout performer — there is little doubt that Messi remains the clear frontrunner. The Inter Miami star could also claim the Golden Boot if he maintains his current form.
His group-stage showings were exceptional. Identifying weaknesses in Messi's game is no easy task, but there is one area where Undav has the edge on him this summer: clinical finishing efficiency.
Undav has yet to earn a starting berth at this tournament. All three of his appearances for Germany have come as a substitute, totaling fewer than 90 minutes combined, yet he has already contributed three goals and two assists.
The 7–1 rout of Curaçao proved especially productive for Undav, whose 26-minute substitute appearance produced one goal and two assists.
Consequently, Undav is registering a goal every 28.7 minutes at the World Cup, with a goal contribution every 17.2 minutes. By any measure, those are remarkable figures even before context is factored in.
How Undav Compares to Messi at 2026 World Cup
Statistic | Deniz Undav | Lionel Messi |
|---|---|---|
Appearances | 3 | 3 |
Minutes | 86 | 200 |
Goals | 3 | 6 |
Assists | 2 | 0 |
"I embrace the role," Undav said recently when questioned about his limited starts this summer. "If I were unhappy or dissatisfied, I simply wouldn't be here."
All attention will turn to Germany's starting eleven for Monday's round-of-32 clash with Paraguay. Arsenal's Kai Havertz has been the go-to starter so far but has failed to add to his two-goal tally against Curaçao, fueling speculation over a potential start for Undav, who was unexpectedly left on the bench for the defeat against Ecuador in the final group fixture.
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"We all agree that Deniz truly deserves a place in the starting lineup, but we have a plan and we've discussed it with Deniz and the other players, and we'll make the rotations we feel are necessary," Nagelsmann said ahead of the Ecuador match.
Messi, by contrast, faces no uncertainty regarding his role. Given a rest against Jordan last week, the 39-year-old will be the first name on the teamsheet and will look to extend his goal tally when Argentina takes on underdog Cabo Verde in the round of 32 on Friday.