Argentina captain dazzles with nine dribbles and two assists against England, but Jay-Jay Okocha’s iconic 1994 mark remains untouched

Argentina captain Lionel Messi produced another breathtaking World Cup performance on Wednesday night in Atlanta, but even his latest masterpiece could not erase one of Nigerian football’s most enduring records.

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The 39-year-old inspired Argentina’s dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over England in the World Cup semi-final, setting up both goals as the reigning champions booked a place in a second consecutive final.

Yet the spotlight quickly turned to a statistic that has survived generations of elite footballers: Austin “Jay-Jay” Okocha’s record of 15 successful dribbles in a World Cup match.

England appeared on course for a famous victory when Anthony Gordon put the Three Lions ahead in the 50th minute. Messi, however, changed the rhythm of the contest with a spell of relentless creativity and close control.

Five minutes from time, the Argentine captain slipped a perfectly weighted pass into the path of Enzo Fernandez, who equalised to stun England.

Deep into stoppage time, Messi delivered another incisive assist, this time for Lautaro Martinez, whose finish completed the turnaround and sent Argentina into Sunday’s final against Spain.

According to Opta and Sofascore, Messi completed nine successful dribbles, the highest by any player at the 2026 tournament.

He also recorded 94 touches, created four clear chances and registered seven touches inside England’s penalty area, a figure matched by the entire England team combined.

Opta said the performance made Messi the first player since detailed records began in 1966 to produce at least nine successful dribbles and two assists in a single World Cup knockout match.

As remarkable as that achievement is, it still falls short of Okocha’s extraordinary display against Italy at the 1994 World Cup.

On July 5, 1994, the then 21-year-old Okocha tormented an Italian defence featuring Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Costacurta and Demetrio Albertini, completing 15 of his 16 dribble attempts during Nigeria’s round-of-16 defeat after extra time.

The Super Eagles ultimately lost 2-1, but Okocha’s performance has since become one of the most celebrated individual displays in World Cup history.

More than three decades later, the Nigerian legend still sits at the top of the all-time dribbling chart.

Brazil’s Jairzinho and England’s Paul Gascoigne each managed 13 successful dribbles in a World Cup match, while Diego Maradona, Jamal Musiala and Johan Cruyff reached 12.

Okocha’s influence has resurfaced repeatedly during the 2026 tournament.

Earlier this month, Spain teenager Lamine Yamal matched another record set by the former Super Eagles captain at the 1998 World Cup, averaging 12 dribbles per 90 minutes across matches lasting more than 200 minutes, a rate Okocha achieved during Nigeria’s run to the round of 16 in France.

For Messi, the semi-final was another chapter in a glittering World Cup career.

The Argentina captain has now registered a goal or an assist in 11 consecutive World Cup matches, an astonishing streak that underlines his longevity and influence at the highest level.

He heads into the final against Spain as the leading contender for the Golden Boot, with eight goals and four assists, as Argentina attempt to retain the title they won four years ago.

Yet for Nigerian football supporters, Wednesday’s thriller carried a different kind of satisfaction.

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Even on a night when Messi rewrote another piece of World Cup history, Okocha’s iconic dribbling record remained standing, a reminder of the dazzling talent that once lit up football’s biggest stage in the green and white of the Super Eagles.