Rabat – Lionel Messi stood alone on the pitch as Spain’s players and substitutes rushed forward to celebrate winning the 2026 World Cup.
The final whistle confirmed Argentina’s 1-0 defeat after extra time and ended their attempt to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to retain the trophy.
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For Messi, the moment carried even greater significance. At 39, the final may have marked the end of his World Cup career.
Surrounded by cameras and watched by thousands of supporters inside New York New Jersey Stadium, the Argentine captain slowly sat down and removed the special Adidas boots prepared for what had been billed as his “Last Tango.”
Torres consoles Messi after decisive goal
Ferran Torres, the player whose extra-time goal decided the final, was the first Spanish player to approach Messi after the whistle.
While Torres offered his respect to the Argentine captain, several other players became involved in a confrontation elsewhere on the pitch, with Leandro Paredes among those at the centre of the dispute.
Argentina’s frustrations had already increased when Enzo Fernandez was sent off late in regulation time, leaving Lionel Scaloni’s team to play extra time with 10 men.
Torres eventually broke the deadlock, ending Argentina’s resistance and securing Spain’s second World Cup title.
Messi fell to the ground after the goal and held his head in his hands, appearing to understand that another comeback was unlikely.
Giuliano Simeone later had an opportunity to force a penalty shootout but sent his effort over the crossbar.
Spain kept Messi quiet
Argentina struggled to impose themselves throughout the final, with Spain controlling possession and preventing Messi from influencing the game.
The captain touched the ball only once during the opening 15 minutes and finished with an expected-goals figure of just 0.03.
Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón was not seriously tested until stoppage time at the end of the second half.
“We couldn’t compete head-to-head today when it came to football,” Scaloni admitted after the defeat.
Messi had repeatedly rescued Argentina during a difficult knockout campaign, but Spain denied him the time and space required to produce one final decisive moment.
Argentina’s supporters continue to sing Messi’s name
Despite the defeat, Argentina’s supporters continued chanting Messi’s name during the post-match ceremony.
The captain led his teammates to collect their runners-up medals before turning toward the Argentine fans as Spain lifted the trophy.
Messi was visibly emotional and wiped away tears as he stood with his teammates.
A banner in the crowd displayed images of Messi and Diego Maradona, connecting the two players who led Argentina to World Cup glory in different generations.
The loss also recalled Argentina’s defeat in the 1990 final, when the defending champions failed to register a shot on target before West Germany scored the winner late in regulation time.
A career already complete
Sunday’s defeat did not erase what Messi had achieved with Argentina.
He ended the country’s 28-year wait for a major international trophy by winning the 2021 Copa America before leading the team to the 2022 World Cup title in Qatar.
Argentina then retained the Copa America and came within one match of defending their world title.
Before the final, Messi wrote that the squad had already created a story that could never be erased, regardless of the result.
He had also previously said he felt he had “completed the game” by winning the World Cup in Qatar.
Although Kylian Mbappe surpassed him as the tournament’s all-time leading scorer during the third-place playoff, Messi leaves behind several other World Cup records from six appearances at the competition.
His likely farewell ended in disappointment rather than celebration, but the reaction from Argentina’s supporters reflected the affection and gratitude that had grown over more than two decades.
As Messi walked down the tunnel, the question was no longer whether he had done enough for Argentina. It was how the World Cup would feel without him.
Read also: Spain Crowned World Champions After Extra-Time Victory Over Argentina
