How much Messi actually walks during a game (a lot)

It seems almost unbelievable that the best player at the World Cup is also the one who runs the least, walks the most, and relies the least on physicality, speed, endurance or the athletic attributes that dominate the modern game. His talent allows him to transcend all of that. Messi has earned the tournament’s highest average player rating (8.7), despite making the least physical effort of any star in the competition.

So far, he has covered 35.87 kilometers (22.29 miles) across five matches—an average of 6.88 kilometers (4.28 miles) per game, although he did not play the full 90 minutes in one of them. Even more remarkable, 4.41 kilometers (2.74 miles) of that average distance has been spent walking, making him the clear leader in one of the World Cup’s most unusual statistical categories.

Against Egypt in the dramatic knockout clash, Messi covered 8.28 kilometers (5.14 miles), while against Austria in the group stage he logged 7.90 kilometers (4.91 miles). Those are exceptionally low figures for an outfield player, yet they have become part of what makes him so unique. His sprint count is also among the tournament’s lowest, averaging just 23 sprints per match. He has covered only 1.48 kilometers (0.92 miles) at a jogging pace and has run at high speed for just 631 meters (0.39 miles) throughout the tournament.

“Thanks to my teammates, I’m able to be on the field. I know they make an extra sacrifice, that they find reserves they don’t have for the moments when I run less. I know they do it from the heart and naturally, because it comes to them, because they feel it,” Messi said after Argentina’s victory over Egypt.

Despite contributing relatively little defensively, he has been the tournament’s most devastating attacking player by virtually every metric. He leads the World Cup in goals from outside the box, free-kick goals, expected goals per match (1.09), and total goals, with eight—an astonishing average of 1.6 goals per game. Simply extraordinary.

Get closer to the game! Whether you like your soccer of the European variety or that on this side of the pond, our AS USA app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more. Plus, stay updated on NFL, NBA and all other big sports stories as well as the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.

And there’s more: check out our TikTok and Instagram reels for bite-sized visual takes on all the biggest soccer news and insights.