Argentina captain Lionel Messi, Iran defender Ramin Rezaeian and Canada centre-back Derek Cornelius have emerged as the leading performers in FIFA’s latest Power Rankings after the opening round of group-stage matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The rankings, powered by Aramco and released by FIFA on Thursday, use advanced analytics to assess players’ contributions across attacking, creativity and defending categories.
Messi topped the attacking rankings following his hat-trick in Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Algeria, while Rezaeian led the creativity category after an influential display in Iran’s 2-2 draw with New Zealand.
Cornelius ranked first among defenders after a commanding performance in Canada’s victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
According to FIFA, “Messi accounted for 60% of Argentina’s attempts at goal, every shot they had on target and all three of their goals. La Albiceleste’s three successful strikes came from 1.58
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