Former Argentina and Manchester City forward, Sergio Aguero, has insisted that Lionel Messi is not concerned about individual statistics as Argentina prepare to face England in the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Argentina will take on England at Atlanta Stadium on Wednesday night, with a place in the World Cup final up for grabs.
Messi has been one of the tournament’s standout performers, scoring eight goals to share the lead in the Golden Boot race with France captain Kylian Mbappe.
The Argentina captain has once again been the driving force behind his country’s impressive campaign, but Aguero believes his former international teammate is focused solely on helping Argentina win the trophy rather than chasing personal milestones.
Speaking to Stake, Aguero praised Messi’s influence and unwavering commitment to the national team.
“Leo is the team’s leader and he keeps surprising everyone. What Leo is doing is incredible no matter how you look at it. Just being at this semi-final stage is a huge achievement, although it doesn’t surprise me.
“We all know his competitive spirit and his quality. But I’m sure what matters most to him is that the team achieves its goals, not his individual records.”
Argentina head into the last-four clash in fine attacking form, having scored three goals in each of their previous four matches. Lionel Scaloni’s men have found the net 17 times since the start of the tournament.
They will now aim to continue that impressive run against England as they seek to secure a place in the World Cup final, where Spain await following Tuesday’s semi-final victory over France.
