‘Is it Messi’s last World Cup?’ Google reveals the questions everyone searched at once

As soon as the final whistle blew on Argentina’s stunning comeback win over Egypt at the FIFA World Cup 2026, one question started appearing in Google searches worldwide: “Is it messi’s last world cup?”

The question was one of several that spiked immediately after the match, according to data cited by CNBC. The single most searched phrase was simply “argentina vs egypt,” followed by “How many world cup goals does messi have?” and, as fans looked ahead, “Argentina x Colombia.” Google also noted a surge in more basic questions, with thousands of fans typing in variations of “What is it called when a player hits another player in game?”

The searches followed a dramatic finish. Trailing late in the match, Argentina scored three goals in the final 11 minutes: Cristian Romero pulled one back, captain Lionel Messi equalized in the 83rd minute, and Enzo Fernández scored the winner in the 90+3rd minute, turning a 0-2 deficit into a 3-2 victory.

The moment produced Google’s biggest traffic spike ever. “Google Search broke all prior usage records and saw its highest usage in history right after Argentina scored their winning goal,” said Nick Fox, head of Google’s Knowledge and Information unit. A company spokesperson told CNBC the system saw its highest-ever “queries per second” at that exact moment, though Google did not share the precise number of users involved.