Lionel Messi has cemented his legacy as the most prolific World Cup performer in history, accumulating an extraordinary 33 combined goals and assists throughout his tournament appearances. This remarkable achievement significantly surpasses his closest competitor, Kylian Mbappé, who enters the final stage with 28 combined contributions. Messi's consistency and impact across multiple World Cup campaigns demonstrate his unparalleled ability to deliver when it matters most on football's greatest stage.

Summary auto-generated by AI from the original publisher's content. Editorial standards.