Lionel Messi was overcome with emotion and fought back tears after Argentina’s hopes of retaining the FIFA World Cup title were shattered by Spain in Sunday’s final at MetLife Stadium, leaving the football icon’s international future hanging in the balance.
The 39-year-old watched in despair as Ferran Torres scored just 37 seconds into the second period of extra time to hand Spain a 1-0 victory, ending Argentina’s title defence and denying La Albiceleste the chance to become the first men’s team since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back World Cup trophies.
Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni paid glowing tribute to his captain after the match.
“I hope that everyone feels proud of him, of what he’s achieved because he’s the best football player ever stepping foot on a pitch,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said.
Whether the final marked Messi’s last appearance for Argentina remains unknown.
The 39-year-old had previously indicated that the 2022 World Cup would be his final tournament before ultimately returning to become the first footballer to feature in six FIFA World Cups.
Scaloni admitted he had not yet discussed the matter with the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, while Messi and his teammates left the stadium without speaking to reporters.
The majority of the crowd had hoped to witness Messi lift the World Cup for a second consecutive time. Instead, the Argentine icon could only watch in disappointment as Spain celebrated another historic triumph.
Spain’s victory was richly deserved after controlling virtually every aspect of the final. La Roja outshot Argentina 20-2 and completed 845 passes compared to Argentina’s 433, underlining their superiority throughout the encounter.
Torres, whose extra-time strike sealed the title, acknowledged the challenge of facing Messi.
“When you have Messi on the other side, well, you are nervous,” Torres said. “At the end of the day, we always depended on us. We always come up with our football, and we showed it again.”
Messi, who inspired Argentina to World Cup glory in 2022 and also led them to consecutive Copa América titles, endured a frustrating evening against Spain’s disciplined defence.
The defining moment came when teenage sensation Lamine Yamal sprinted to celebrate with Torres after the winning goal, while Messi stood motionless with his hands on his hips, his dream of retaining the trophy slipping away.
Since joining Major League Soccer three years ago after a glittering European career with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, many believed Messi’s best years were behind him.
Instead, he delivered another outstanding World Cup campaign, finishing with eight goals and four assists to guide Argentina back to the final.
His World Cup career tally reached 21 goals before France’s Kylian Mbappé overtook him with 22 goals after scoring twice in Saturday’s third-place match.
Messi also became the first player to start three World Cup finals and increased his international goal tally to 125, second only to Cristiano Ronaldo’s 146.
Despite his remarkable achievements, Spain successfully neutralised Argentina’s captain. Messi managed just 15 touches in the first half and 54 overall, rarely finding the spaces from which he has so often decided major matches.
Spain coach, Luis de la Fuente explained that limiting Messi’s influence was central to his team’s game plan.
“The first idea was to keep Messi at bay,” Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said.
Following the final whistle, several Spanish players embraced and consoled the Argentine superstar, who dropped to the turf in despair before later collecting his runners-up medal.
As Spain’s players celebrated beneath a shower of gold confetti, Messi quietly left the pitch with slumped shoulders, his expression reflecting the pain of seeing Argentina’s title defence come to an end while questions linger over whether his extraordinary international career has finally reached its conclusion.
