Lionel Messi’s extraordinary consistency in world football has once again been underlined by a recent statistical analysis, proving that age is no barrier to talent.
Nearing the age of 39, the Inter Miami and Argentina captain continues to dominate the sport, ranking first in the world for goals and assists over the past year. His achievements are a testament to his enduring quality and ability to influence the game at the highest level.
CIES Football Observatory’s comprehensive report analyzed the performance of players from 67 professional leagues around the world, tracking every goal and assist over the past 365 days.
Messi rose to the top of the table for Inter Miami with an incredible 59 goals, including 37 goals and 22 assists. His performances have surpassed even the sport’s most prolific stars, underscoring his lasting influence and incredible credibility.
Even considering the competitiveness of different leagues through a weighted scoring system, there is no match for Messi. CIES applies a formula that balances contributions according to the difficulty of the league, and Messi’s weighted index of 66.3 is narrowly ahead of France’s Kylian Mbapp, who came in at 65.4.
This shows that Messi’s achievements are not only rich, but also important in the context of the level of opposition he faces.
Messi’s impressive world ranking and elite competition
Messi is at the top of both raw and weighted metrics, but other top players are also having great seasons. Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane secured second place in total with 42 goal contributions (35 goals and 7 assists).
Anders Dreyer of San Diego FC contributed with a total of 41 goals and assists (22 goals, 19 assists), while Kylian Mbapp also contributed 41 goals, but most of his achievements came from goals (37 goals). Rounding out the top five is FC Basel’s Xherdan Shaqiri, who made 38 contributions in total, with 19 goals and 19 assists tied for the same number.
Messi’s overwhelming strength is especially impressive considering his age. At nearly 39 years old, most forwards are beginning to decline, but Messi continues to outperform younger players.
Even at the age of 41, Cristiano Ronaldo continues to perform at a high level, finishing 15th in the world with 31 goal contributions (29 goals and 2 assists). This highlights the extraordinary longevity and professionalism that both players have shown throughout their careers.
The latest rankings highlight Messi’s lasting influence on football. His ability to produce goals and have a decisive impact on matches demonstrates a combination of technical skill and game intelligence that is rarely matched in this sport.
Messi proves year after year that he is not only one of the greatest players of his generation, but an athlete who can redefine performance expectations well into his late 30s.
