Spain and the wider soccer world win, Messi bids farewell
Lionel Messi walked off the pitch Sunday evening following the final whistle of the 2026 World Cup exhausted; tears in his eyes, saluting the Argentina faithful. He looked like he’d rather be anywhere except East Rutherford, New Jersey (which, to be fair, is like most people who find themselves in East Rutherford, New Jersey), the greatest player of all time had lost his final match in his country’s kit.
It wasn’t poetic, nor was it surprising. Losing isn’t foreign to Messi, even he can’t win every match he plays. He’s lost some big ones over his storied 20-plus-year career, for both club and country. But he’s won more than he’s lost, including 13-straight at the World Cup heading into the final and 12 more at the Copa America.
Argentina and Messi hadn’t lost a knockout match a major tournament since 2019.
Spain dominate
The oddsmakers had Spain as well-deserved favourites. A possession machine that oozes confidence, “La Roja” played with a calm, cool and collected style all tournament, conceding just a single goal heading into the final. A number that would not change.
For the better part of a decade, Argentina basically didn’t lose when it mattered most. Until they did Sunday, in emphatic fashion. The score looked much better for “La Albiceleste” than the eye test. They were thoroughly dominated by Spain.
| THE NUMBER | ESP | ARG |
| Possession | 65% | 35% |
| Expected goals | 2.29 | 0.22 |
| Total shots | 20 | 2 |
| Shots on target | 12 | 0 |
| Touches in opp. box | 32 | 8 |
| Accurate passes | 763 (89%) | 357 (77%) |
By the second half hydration break, Argentina hadn’t recorded a shot attempt, something no other side had “achieved” in the 103 previous matches at the 2026 World Cup. That didn’t change until Messi found one in the 117th minute. If not for Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez and his tournament record 11 saves, the match would have ended after 90 minutes and been effectively over much earlier.
When the Argentines weren’t chasing possession, they were playing physical. They spent much of the match trying to bully their opponents off or after the ball with shoulders and elbows. That included Enzo Fernandez, who was sent off during injury time for a reckless, charging tackle on Pau Cubarsí.
But it was for show, really. Because, in truth, it never looked like Lionel Scaloni’s side was playing to do anything more than get to penalties, especially in extra time whern reduced to 10 men. That became readily apparent when striker Julián Alvarez was substituted in the 102nd minute for a defender.
Like the pundits, the Argentine players and their manager seemed to believe they couldn’t play with Spain and were happy to allow possession, play deep and lean on their keeper. Despite the pitch tilting to the Argentina end all match, the tactic worked, until it didn’t.
“Only one team tried to win this match” – Analyst Steven Caldwell during the broadcast
It took 106 minutes, but Spanish substitute striker Ferran Torres finally beat Martínez with a left-footed volley from about nine yards out following some great receiving and a cheeky back-header from Nico Williams Jr.
Messi himself was largely invisible, although he did his best to orchestrate some patented Argentina heroics when down late in the match. He remained obviously their most dangerous player with the ball at his feet and in crosses and corners.
The match was a relative bore. Purists could appreciate Spain’s possession tactics and buildups, but there just wasn’t much else to admire — outside of Martínez. That goes double in comparison to the 6-4 England-France barnburner on Saturday to decide third place. That had more of an All-Star Game feel to it for sure, but it was definitely more fun to watch. It also decided the Golden Boot for Kylian Mbappé, whose 10 goals were the most in the tournament in 56 years and two more than Messi. The final was something of a slog.
Soccer is the big winner
That being said, the tournament as a whole was a definite success: The expanded field proved something to celebrate not condemn; the fans were amazing; all three host countries progressed to the Round of 16; the semifinals featured the four top-ranked teams in the world; and, of course, there was Erling Haaland.
He was already a household name to football fans but became a darling the world over for his great play, electric personality and modern take on machismo. He alone created a whole new set of soccer supporters.
World Cup 2030 qualifying begins in the fall of 2027. The tournament will take place in Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with three happening in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay to honour the 100th year of the first World Cup.
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| Feature images courtesy AP Photo/Julio Cortez Canadian Press Images. Stats courtesy fotmob.com. |
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