Honestly, the debate is kinda over. We’ve spent the better part of two decades arguing over bar stools and Twitter threads about who the "GOAT" is, but if you look at the landscape in early 2026, the dust has settled. Lionel Messi isn’t just a name anymore; he’s a statistical anomaly that happens to have a human pulse.
People love to bring up the "system player" argument. They used to say he could only do it at Barcelona. Then he went to Paris and won a league title. Then he went to Miami and turned a bottom-tier MLS club into 2025 MLS Cup champions. At 38 years old, he’s still sitting in the top 10 of the Ballon d'Or power rankings for 2026. That shouldn't be possible.
The math is honestly terrifying.
The 900-Goal Threshold
As we sit here in January 2026, Messi is staring down the 900-goal mark. Think about that for a second. Most world-class strikers are lucky to hit 400. He’s currently at 896 career goals for club and country. He’s also the most prolific creator the game has ever seen with 407 official assists.
The "Messi best soccer player" tag isn't just about the scoring, though. It’s the efficiency. In the 2025 season for Inter Miami, he didn't just play; he dominated.
- 29 regular-season goals (winning the Golden Boot).
- 6 postseason goals leading to the title.
- The first player to win consecutive Landon Donovan MLS MVP awards.
He’s doing this while walking. Literally. If you watch his player heat maps from the 2022 World Cup or his recent MLS runs, he spends a massive chunk of the game just strolling. It’s not laziness. It’s predatory. He’s calculating the exact moment your left-back loses concentration for half a heartbeat.
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Why the 2022 World Cup Changed Everything
Before Qatar, the critics had one last straw to clutch: "He hasn't won the big one."
Then he did.
But it wasn't just the win. It was the way he dragged that Argentina squad through the fire. He scored in every single knockout round—the round of 16, the quarter-final, the semi-final, and twice in the final. Nobody had ever done that. He was 35. Against France, a team featuring a prime Kylian Mbappé, Messi looked like the calmest man in the stadium while the world was losing its mind.
That tournament proved he has "World-Class Patience." Experts like Charlie Ellis have noted that Messi’s defensive stats are almost non-existent. He doesn't tackle. He doesn't block. He waits. By conserving every ounce of energy for "high-spike" moments, he stays lethal for the full 90 minutes.
The 2026 Horizon: The Final Peak?
We are currently in a World Cup year. The 2026 tournament is hosted right here in North America, and the narrative is already shifting toward a potential repeat.
If Argentina wins again, Messi becomes the first man to lift the World Cup twice as captain. Ever. He’s already the most decorated player in history with 48 trophies. If he touches 50 this year, the conversation moves from "Is he the best soccer player?" to "Is he the greatest athlete in the history of sports?"
He’s currently sitting 4th on the all-time free-kick list with 69 goals. He needs 10 more to pass the legendary Marcelinho Carioca. Is it likely? Probably not at 38. But he hit 10 in a single season back in 2018. With the way he's striking the ball in Miami, you'd be a fool to bet against a late-career surge.
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The Nuance: Is It Just the Stats?
Critics of the "Messi best soccer player" claim often point to Cristiano Ronaldo’s sheer athleticism or Pelé’s three World Cups. It's a fair point. Ronaldo is a physical marvel, a machine built in a lab. Pelé was a pioneer.
But Messi is a composer.
He doesn't just "play" soccer; he dictates the gravity of the match. When he steps onto the pitch, the other 21 players subconsciously shift their positioning. Coaches like Pep Guardiola have famously struggled to describe him, often settling on the idea that Messi is simply the best at every single offensive facet: finishing, passing, vision, and dribbling. He’s a #10 and a #9 fused into one body.
What Most People Get Wrong
The biggest misconception is that Messi is "natural talent" while others are "hard work." This is total nonsense.
You don't stay at the top for 20 years on talent alone. Messi overcame a growth hormone deficiency as a kid. He moved across the ocean at 13. He’s reinvented his game three times—from a lightning-fast winger to a false nine, and now to a deep-lying playmaker who finishes like a poacher.
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He’s adapted to age. He’s adapted to different leagues.
Moving Forward: How to Watch Him Now
If you’re trying to appreciate why he’s the best, stop following the ball. Watch his eyes. Watch how he identifies a gap three passes before it actually opens up.
If you want to keep up with his final run in 2026, here is what to track:
- The 900-Goal Mark: He needs 4 more. Every match is now a potential history-making event.
- The Finalissima: Watch his chemistry with the new generation of Argentinian stars like Lamine Yamal (who many are calling his successor at Barcelona).
- The Free-Kick Count: Keep an eye on his attempts from 20-25 yards. He’s currently chasing Juninho Pernambucano’s record of 72.
The window is closing. We’re watching the final act of a career that will be talked about in 100 years. Whether he wins the 9th Ballon d'Or or not, the evidence is in the trophies, the 1,300+ goal contributions, and the fact that at 38, he’s still the most dangerous person on any pitch he steps on.
To really understand the legacy, look at the impact on the US market. He didn't just join MLS; he validated it. He made the world look at North American soccer with a straight face. That’s the "Messi effect." It’s bigger than a game. It’s a permanent shift in the sport's tectonic plates.
Track his goal-to-game ratio as the 2026 season progresses; if he maintains his current 0.95 clip, he’ll hit 900 goals before the summer heat hits Miami.