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According to a report by Soccernet on Thursday July 16, 2026, Lionel Messi delivered another memorable performance as Argentina came from behind to defeat England 2-1 in the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but the Argentine captain was unable to surpass a long-standing record held by Nigerian football legend Austin Jay-Jay Okocha.
Messi inspired the defending champions to a second consecutive World Cup final with a brilliant display in Atlanta. After England took the lead through Anthony Gordon in the 55th minute, Argentina mounted a late comeback with Messi at the heart of everything.
The 39-year-old first provided the assist for Enzo Fernandez’s equaliser in the 85th minute before creating the winning goal deep into stoppage time. His perfectly weighted cross found Lautaro Martinez, who headed home to complete Argentina’s dramatic turnaround.
Messi’s overall performance was among the standout individual displays of the tournament. He completed nine successful dribbles, the highest by any player at the 2026 World Cup, while also registering 94 touches, creating four clear scoring opportunities and recording seven touches inside England’s penalty area.
According to Opta statistics, Messi also became the first player since detailed records began in 1966 to record at least nine successful dribbles and two assists in a single World Cup knockout match.
Despite those remarkable achievements, Messi’s dribbling display still fell short of the record set by former Super Eagles captain Austin Okocha more than three decades ago.
Okocha remains the holder of the record for the most successful dribbles in a single World Cup match after completing an incredible 15 dribbles during Nigeria’s Round of 16 clash against Italy at the 1994 FIFA World Cup.
The Nigerian midfielder produced the unforgettable display against one of the strongest defensive teams of that era, featuring stars such as Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Costacurta and Demetrio Albertini. Over 120 minutes, Okocha successfully completed 15 of his 16 dribble attempts as Nigeria pushed Italy to extra time before eventually suffering a 2-1 defeat.
His performance has remained one of the most iconic individual displays in World Cup history, with no player managing to eclipse the record since then.
The all-time rankings for successful dribbles in a single World Cup match continue to place Okocha at the top with 15, ahead of Brazil legend Jairzinho and former England midfielder Paul Gascoigne, who each recorded 13. Diego Maradona, Jamal Musiala and Johan Cruyff are among those who completed 12 successful dribbles in individual matches.
Meanwhile, Messi continues to enjoy an outstanding tournament. His display against England extended his run of recording either a goal or an assist in 11 consecutive World Cup matches. He also leads the race for the Golden Boot with eight goals and four assists as Argentina prepare to face Spain in the World Cup final.
While Messi once again demonstrated why he is regarded as one of football’s greatest players, Okocha’s extraordinary dribbling performance at the 1994 World Cup remains the benchmark for individual brilliance on the tournament’s biggest stage.
