Lionel Messi could have finally settled debates about who is the greatest player of all time by winning another World Cup with Argentina on Sunday, but he remained in tears after Spain's 1-0 victory.
Match progression and final
Messi, who was 39 at the time, helped the team reach yet another final by scoring eight goals and providing two assists in a dramatic comeback against England in the semi-final. Nevertheless, the dream of lifting the trophy again, four years after the triumph in Qatar, proved unattainable.
The ten-man Argentine squad could not resist Spain at the MetLife Stadium, and they were lucky to last until the 106th minute when Ferran Torres finally opened the scoring.
Reaction of players and fans
The South Americans looked uncertain throughout the match, facing serious difficulties after Enzo Fernandez was sent off in stoppage time. The final eluded Messi, and when he cried, it seemed as if he would have been better off leaving the field that glorious night in Doha in 2022.
While the Spanish team celebrated this hard-fought victory, a completely different picture unfolded on the opposite side of the pitch: the Argentinians, along with the fans, were stunned. Despite the defeat, the supporters demonstrated their unwavering support, singing to welcome Messi as tears streamed down his face on one of the most historic days of his career.
Messi's achievements and statistics
Argentine forward Lionel Messi has scored only 54 times, with almost half of those goals scored in extra time, and he still failed to score the goal that would tie Kylian Mbappé's overall World Cup record of 22 goals. It was difficult not to conclude that he might have hindered his team when they were reduced to ten men—he remained the only forward, whereas under any other circumstances, coach Lionel Scaloni would surely have brought on fresh attacking talent Lautaro Martinez.
Argentina failed to become the first team to retain the World Cup title since Brazil in 1962, but this day was nevertheless significant for Messi. He became the second player to feature in three World Cup finals, alongside Brazilian great Cafu. Pelé won three World Cups but did not participate in the 1962 final due to injury, and Maradona played in two finals.
History of defeats and career
If there are still skeptics about Messi, they can point out that he has now lost two finals, and this defeat followed the loss to Germany in 2014. The Sunday final took place at the same stadium where he sensationally announced his departure from the national team at the age of 29 in 2016. By then, he had accumulated over 100 matches and was already considered one of the greatest players of all time due to his achievements at Barcelona.
However, with Argentina, he had already lost three major finals, including the 2014 World Cup final, when he arrived at MetLife Stadium for the decisive Copa America match in Centenario in 2016 against Chile. The match ended in a 0-0 draw, after which Messi missed a penalty in the penalty shootout, and Argentina lost again. At that time, he stated: 'For me, the national team is over.'
After that, he enjoyed an incredible late-career resurgence with his country, winning the Copa America twice in a row in 2021 and 2024, flanking the 2022 World Cup. The 2026 tournament in North America initially seemed like the icing on the cake for Messi, as he scored a hat-trick in the first match against Algeria, and the goals continued to come.
He now has over 200 matches, and he has played a record 34 World Cup matches across six tournaments, which will likely mark the end of his World Cup career, considering he will turn 40 in 2030. Nevertheless, there may be calls for him to play for his country a little longer, especially given his contract with Inter Miami until 2028. It was a glorious career, but Sunday's final proved to be too heavy a test for Messi and Argentina.
