Leandro Trossard matches Messi’s World Cup record for chances created

Records that belong to Lionel Messi tend to stay that way for a long time. Leandro Trossard, apparently, did not get the memo.

The Arsenal winger has created 17 chances from open play at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, matching the single-tournament record that Messi set during Argentina’s title-winning campaign in Qatar in 2022. According to data tracked by Opta and referenced by Squawka in early July 2026, Trossard sits at the top of the tournament’s chance-creation leaderboard, with every single one of those opportunities generated through open play, no set pieces padding the stat.

Who is leading the pack

Trossard is not just nudging past the competition. He has created 17 chances while Mohamed Salah, the next closest player, sits at 16. Messi himself is tracking around 15 in the 2026 tournament, meaning the man whose record Trossard equaled is now watching from a rung below on the same leaderboard.

Trossard has also contributed two goals of his own, which means Belgium’s wide play is running through him on both ends of the attacking contribution spectrum.

Context for the record itself

Messi’s 2022 record was set during a tournament where Argentina won the World Cup that December, and Messi’s playmaking numbers were part of what made that campaign so historically significant.

Belgium advancing from the group stage is confirmed, and Trossard’s numbers have been a central reason why.

What this means going forward

Salah trailing at 16 chances is worth noting separately. Egypt’s campaign has leaned heavily on him, and his output reflects genuine elite-level production. The fact that Trossard has stayed ahead of Salah across the same set of matches is a meaningful data point.

Messi’s position at approximately 15 chances in this tournament is also telling. At 38, he is still generating at a rate that would lead most tournaments in most years.

The record currently stands as a tie. Whether Trossard breaks it outright depends on how far Belgium advances and how many more opportunities he finds in the matches remaining.

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