21 July 2026,
Tuesday
21 July 2026,
Tuesday
Lionel Messi (Photo: FIFA)
Argentina's hopes of defending their FIFA World Cup crown were shattered on Sunday night as Spain claimed a hard-fought 1-0 victory in the final, denying Lionel Messi a fairytale second world title.
The Argentine legend was pictured sobbing uncontrollably on the pitch after the final whistle, with footage of his tears quickly going viral across social media platforms.
Spain lifted their second World Cup trophy, their first since 2010, after substitute Ferran Torres struck the decisive goal in the 106th minute at the New Jersey Stadium in New York. Spain dominated proceedings throughout, registering 20 shots on target compared to Argentina's solitary effort. Argentina's toothless forward line proved to be their downfall, failing to create a single clear-cut chance across the match.
Torres's strike settled what had been a tense, goalless contest, sealing Spain's triumph as new world champions. Tempers flared after the final whistle as players from both sides clashed, though team-mates quickly stepped in to defuse the situation.
This is widely seen as Messi's final World Cup appearance. He now sits second on the all-time World Cup goalscoring list with 21 goals, behind only Kylian Mbappé, who has 22. In this tournament alone, Messi scored eight goals and provided four assists, earning him the Silver Boot. However, he missed out on the Player of the Tournament award, which went to Spain's Rodri instead.
Only 21 players in World Cup history have won the tournament twice or more, a list topped by Brazilian great Pelé, who triumphed in 1958, 1962 and 1970. Messi won his first title in 2022 but fell agonisingly short of a second in 2026.
