Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick while running the second-fewest kilometers

Lionel Messi demonstrated that efficiency trumps distance in football, scoring a remarkable hat-trick while covering the second-lowest distance among all players on the field. According to data from Sofascore, the Argentine captain ran just 7.02 kilometers during his team's dominant performance on June 16. This statistic highlights Messi's ability to impact the game significantly without excessive running, a feat often associated with defenders. In fact, other Argentine players, Lisandro Martínez and Cristian 'Cuti' Romero, also ranked among the top players who ran the least, securing first and third place respectively. Sofascore's analysis considered players who participated for at least 80 minutes. Among the top ten players with the lowest distance covered in the opening round of the 2026 World Cup, five were defenders, four were forwards (including Messi), and one was a midfielder. Messi's performance also saw him match German legend Miroslav Klose's record of 16 World Cup goals, placing him as a joint all-time top scorer. With at least two more matches to play, Messi has a strong opportunity to surpass Klose's record.

“

Running, anyone can run; playing football is more complicated.