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Lionel Messi cries inconsolably after Spain deny Argentina consecutive World Cup titles in awfully one-sided final
Argentina's defeat brought the curtain down on one of the greatest World Cup careers the sport has ever witnessed.
For a brief moment, deep into extra time, it felt as though Argentina would conjure yet another late escape. They had done it throughout the knockout stages, scoring 10 of their 19 goals at this World Cup after the 80th minute. Lionel Messi, who had been kept unusually quiet for most of the final, finally came alive. Argentina surged behind their captain. Spain retreated. It felt like déjà vu.
But this time, the comeback never came.
Argentina managed just two attempts in the closing stages, both after the 118th minute, and neither troubled the goalkeeper. Messi was at the heart of both moves, but La Albiceleste could not find the equaliser. When the final whistle sounded at MetLife Stadium in New York, Spain erupted in celebration while Messi collapsed into tears.
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Four years ago in Qatar, Messi had finally conquered the mountain that had eluded him throughout his glittering career, a triumph many described as the day he "completed football." Spain denied him the perfect encore. Substitute Ferran Torres' 106th-minute strike proved decisive after 120 minutes, sealing Spain's second World Cup title. The reigning European champions dominated both possession and territory, reducing Argentina to a pale shadow of the side that had marched to the final.
Messi could not hold back his emotions after collecting his runners-up medal. He stood alone at the edge of the presentation podium, crying inconsolably as Spain celebrated with the trophy, before quietly walking off the pitch.
The defeat brought the curtain down on one of the greatest World Cup careers the sport has ever witnessed.
There had been genuine uncertainty over whether Messi would even feature at this tournament. The 39-year-old eventually committed at the last moment and once again carried Argentina to the final. Across eight matches, he scored eight goals and registered four assists. During the group-stage win over Austria, he became the outright leading goalscorer in World Cup history, surpassing Germany's Miroslav Klose, while also becoming the first player to reach the 20-goal mark in the tournament. He finishes his World Cup career with 21 goals, although Kylian Mbappe overtook him after scoring twice in France's third-place playoff victory over England to move to 22.
Messi also retires holding the record for the most World Cup appearances, with 33 matches across six editions, and remains the only player to start three World Cup finals. His first came in 2014, when Mario Götze's extra-time strike handed Germany the title. Eight years later in Qatar, Messi finally lifted the trophy after Argentina defeated France in one of the greatest finals in football history. His final appearance ended in heartbreak, but little changes the legacy he leaves behind on football's biggest stage.
