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F our years after lifting the World Cup in 2022, Lionel Messi isn’t just leading the Golden Boot race. He’s also winning the popularity contest against Cristiano Ronaldo by a landslide. Recent VAR controversies at the 2026 World Cup made that crystal clear. Two calls, two reactions W hen the US’s Folarin Balogun got a red after a VAR review for a studs up tackle, fans instantly pointed to Messi’s similar challenge vs Algeria that went unpunished. The argument wasn’t “that’s a red.” It was “if Messi didn’t get one, then it’s not a red.” 24 hours later, Mario Pasalic had a goal for Croatia ruled out for being fractionally offside vs Ronaldo’s Portugal. The public reaction? Overwhelming support for Croatia. That matters because Croatia has been the underdog darling, making multiple final fours. Portugal, with Ronaldo, hasn’t reached a semifinal since he was 21. The bias in the conversation was obvious. Why the tide turned The piece argues it’s not just about trophies anymore. It’s about ...

A t 39, Lionel Messi is putting together one of the most remarkable World Cup runs we’ve ever seen and the 2026 tournament might be his best yet. In Argentina’s round of 32 match vs Cape Verde, Messi scored his 7th goal of the tournament to give Argentina the lead. That strike did more than put his team ahead. It put him in the history books. Here’s what he just achieved Tied a 64 year record: Messi has now scored in 5 straight World Cup knockout games. The last player to do that was Brazil’s Vava back in 1962. Only 4 players in history have ever managed it. First ever 7+ goals in 2 different World Cups: He also did this in 2022. No other player has scored 7 or more goals across two separate editions. Goals in every game so far: Group stage; goal vs Jordan, 2 vs Austria, 3 vs Algeria. Knockouts: he’s scored in every match too. 30+ World Cup appearances: He’s now the first player in history to reach 30 appearances at the World Cup. And he’s doing all of this while leading the race for t...