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Oct 8,2026 07:41 PM IST

Not Lionel Messi, Defence Argentina's "Biggest Strength": India Star Sandesh Jhingan

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FIFA World Cup 11 Jun 26 to 19 Jul 26

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Sports Home 2026 FIFA World Cup News Not Lionel Messi Defence Argentinas Biggest Strength India Star Sandesh Jhingan

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Not Lionel Messi, Defence Argentina's "Biggest Strength": India Star Sandesh Jhingan

Speaking exclusively to NDTV, Indian football team star Sandesh Jhingan gave his insights from the first phase of the FIFA World Cup 2026, especially as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi dominate headlines.

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Sandesh Jhingan on Lionel Messi's Argentina at FIFA World Cup 2026© Getty

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The FIFA World Cup 2026 has begun in an extraordinary fashion, with the likes of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, Vinicius Jr., and Cristiano Ronaldo scoring some exquisite goals. While Messi has already become the player with the most goals in World Cup history, surpassing Miroslav Klose's record of 16, he is facing close competition from Mbappé, who has also matched the Germany icon's tally. In an exclusive chat with NDTV on the FIFA World Cup 2026, Indian football team's defensive stalwart, Sandesh Jhingan, shared his views on Ronaldo, Messi, the tense Golden Boot race, and much more.

When it comes to the Golden Boot race in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Jhingan said that he is backing Ronaldo to bag the honour despite the difficult start he endured at the beginning of the tournament. On Argentina's smashing start to the campaign, Jhingan had a slightly different stance, suggesting that it is La Albiceleste's defence that is the team's biggest strength, even while all the focus remains on Messi's attacking prowess.

Q. We are witnessing a close contest in the Golden Boot race this World Cup with Messi, Mbappé, Haaland, Harry Kane, etc. According to you, who will finish as the leading goalscorer of the tournament and why?

Sandesh Jhingan: It's exciting to see the Golden Boot race already taking shape. Messi currently leads the way with five goals, while Mbappé is close behind on four. Ronaldo also got himself on the scoresheet yesterday, keeping his name firmly in the conversation.

I may be a little biased, but I'm backing Ronaldo to win the Golden Boot at this World Cup. His experience, hunger, and knack for delivering on the biggest stage make him a strong contender to finish as the tournament's top scorer.

Q. Lionel Messi has started the World Cup campaign with a magnificent hat-trick and continues to be one of the tournament's biggest talking points. What has impressed you most about his performances so far, and how important is he to Argentina's chances of defending the title?

Sandesh Jhingan: Argentina have a very strong chance of defending their title. While a lot of attention is rightly focused on their attacking firepower, I believe their biggest strength is actually their defensive solidity. In their last nine matches, they've scored around 25-26 goals while conceding just once, which is incredible.

That balance between attack and defence is what could help them go all the way again. And then, of course, there's Messi. The more you say about him, the less it seems to capture what he's doing. He's in outstanding form and is scoring all kinds of goals.

Everyone has spoken about his brilliant strike against Algeria and the superb finish against Austria, but the goal that stood out most to me was his second against Algeria. It was a simple tap-in, but one that showcased pure instinct, desire, and anticipation-those are the qualities that define the very best goalscorers.

Messi looks determined to make the most of this World Cup, and it's been fantastic to see the excitement and energy he continues to generate with his performances.

Q: One of the early trends in this World Cup has been the impressive showing of several lower-ranked nations against traditional powerhouses. What do you think has enabled these teams to compete so effectively, and could this be the most competitive World Cup we've seen yet?

Sandesh Jhingan: That's the beauty of football, and one of the reasons it's considered the world's most popular sport. No matter how many world-class players you have or how strong your squad looks on paper, if you don't perform on the day, any opponent can punish you and get a result. At the end of the day, it's still 11 vs 11. That's what makes football so unpredictable and compelling.

Another important point is that until the final whistle of the final blows and the trophy is lifted, every team remains in contention. Every nation at this World Cup has earned its place on merit. Argentina qualified on merit, just as Cape Verde did. That means every team has the same opportunity to dream, compete, and make history.

The fact that every side has earned its spot is a testament to the quality and competitiveness of this tournament. That's what makes the World Cup so special, and I'm confident the matches ahead will be even more exciting, unpredictable, and enjoyable for fans around the world.

Sandesh Jhingan is a part of expert panel for the FIFA World Cup at Zee 5.

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Topics mentioned in this article

Sandesh Jhingan Lionel Messi Messi Cristiano Ronaldo Ronaldo Portugal Portugal Argentina Argentina 2026 FIFA World Cup Football

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Players - Top Goals

Player Matches Goals Mbappé Mbappé France 8 10 Messi Messi Argentina 8 8 Haaland Haaland Norway 5 7 Bellingham Bellingham England 8 7 Kane Kane England 7 6

Player Matches Assists Michael Olise Michael Olise France 8 7 Messi Messi Argentina 8 4 Odegaard Odegaard Norway 5 4 Mbappé Mbappé France 8 4 Brahim Brahim Morocco 6 4

No Teams MP Goals GA 1 England England 8 20 12 2 France France 8 20 10 3 Argentina Argentina 8 19 8 4 Spain Spain 8 14 1 5 Belgium Belgium 6 14 7

No Teams MP Goals Assists 1 France France 8 20 18 2 England England 8 20 14 3 Argentina Argentina 8 19 12 4 Spain Spain 8 14 10 5 Norway Norway 6 13 10

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