3260: Messi
| Messi |
 Title text: Commentators agree that this will probably be the last World Cup in which Messi faces serious competition. |
Explanation
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This is one of 46 incomplete explanations: This page was created in Lionel Messi's 398th goal. Don't remove this notice too soon. If you can fix this issue, edit the page! |
In the vein of 605: Extrapolating, this comic utilizes the incorrect application of extrapolation to humorous ends, in this case what appears to be polynomial extrapolation. Extrapolation is a form of estimation in which new data points are estimated from existing ones using some method. In this case, Randall appears to have smoothed discrete data points regarding soccer superstar Lionel Messi's average goals per World Cup game into a grey curve.
This method only works if there is a relationship to model - however, in this case, there isn't. All of the World Cup matches exept 2026 have varying amounts of goals scored, going down significantly on 2010 & 2018. Thus this extrapolation is entirely based on the 2026 stats, ignoring the other quite low goals per game.
The title text says that this World Cup is the last one in which Messi will face serious competition. This is true, but only because this is almost certainly Messi's last World Cup period.
Transcript
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This is one of 28 incomplete transcripts: Don't remove this notice too soon. If you can fix this issue, edit the page! |
- [A graph is shown, with 1 axis having the numbers 1, 2, & 3 going up it, and the other having 24 unlabelled marks. There are 6 points on the graph itself, with them being labelled 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, and 2026, the latter having '(so far)' under it. There is a grey dotted curve going up in a curved fashion.]
- [Title of graph:]Lionel Messi [new line] world cup points per game.
- [Caption below text:]At this rate, by 2040 Lionel Messi will be scoring hundreds of goals per game.
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Does Randall support Messi? SectorCorruptor (talk) 16:26, 17 June 2026 (UTC)
- Who doesn't support Messi? :D 130.76.187.46 18:00, 17 June 2026 (UTC)
New football/soccer terms for me! 2 goals scored in one game = Brace, 3 goals = Hat-trick, 4 goals = Haul, 5 goals = Glut BorQhue del Sol (talk) 16:58, 17 June 2026 (UTC)
I think the explanation on the hover text is missing the point that, at 38 years old, this is likely to be Messi's last world cup, which is another way in which the statement "last world cup in which he faces serious opposition" is technically true.
I think the curve might be exponential, referencing the "predictions" of AI future capabilities 93.36.179.126 17:15, 17 June 2026 (UTC)
We should explain how there can data points in the graph with y-values between zero and one. I assume it's because a team might well play multiple games during a single tournament. βScs (talk) 18:10, 17 June 2026 (UTC)
- That's obviously true. In the current format, each team plays between 3 and 8 games. During the initial group stage there are groups of 4 where each team plays the other 3. Then there are 5 single-elimination knockout rounds plus a playoff for third place between the semi-final losers. So if Messi makes it to the finals and scores 1 goal in every other game, the y-value will be 0.5. Barmar (talk) 19:03, 17 June 2026 (UTC)
Messiest graph ever. 64.201.132.210 18:34, 17 June 2026 (UTC)
I was going to update the transcript with estimated Y values of each data point. But maybe someone with a little more time and tooling could actually measure them and produce reasonably precise values. Barmar (talk) 18:57, 17 June 2026 (UTC) Add comment
