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World Cup final whimper not the ending Lionel Messi expected
It wasn't supposed to end this way for Lionel Messi.
The Argentina captain had dragged his national team to the World Cup final after a brilliant tournament in North America that saw him peel back the years in an attempt to deliver one more piece of international hardware to his country.
However, Messi and Argentina fell at the final hurdle of this summer's competition, running into the defensive juggernaut that is Spain. In truth, Argentina looked like they hardly belonged on the same field as the eventual 2026 World Cup champions, as the Spaniards chocked the life out of the match before dealing the fatal blow deep into extra time of a 1-0 result in New Jersey.
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It was a deeply disappointing end for Messi, who racked up numbers that allowed him to challenge for the Golden Boot and the Golden Ball.
Eight goals. Four assists. 853 minutes played across eight matches at 39 years old.
Video game numbers.
And yet, Messi walks away from what is almost certainly his final World Cup with none of the desired silverware in hand. No winners medal. No Golden Boot or Golden Ball.
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Sure, he collected a runners-up medal, the second one of his career. And he also showed that he's still among the most fearsome players on the planet.
But Messi's legacy was already secured long before this expanded World Cup even started. Indeed, in the final few weeks leading into Argentina's squad announcement, there was some doubt as to whether the diminutive superstar would even take part in this competition.
Messi had already "completed football" three-and-a-half years earlier, when he led Argentina to World Cup glory at Qatar 2022. The final piece of his glittering career had been secured after Messi had won enough Ballon d'Or, Champions League, La Liga, Copa del Rey and even Copa America hardware to fill even the most fantasy-driven trophy case.
And yet, with the World Cup now coming to his new home, Messi saw one final opportunity to add to his incredible story. Leading Argentina to a World Cup as the oldest outfield player to suit up in a final would all but drive the last remaining nail in the coffin of the neverending debate about whether he is the greatest player of all time.
The temptation was too much to ignore, and Messi committed to one more World Cup run with this Argentina side — a team built around his genius, and one that would scrap tooth and nail on his and their country's behalf.
What happened in the group stage and the knockout matches leading into Sunday's final is the stuff of legend, but with just one more legendary performance Messi would be able to walk away from the biggest stage as the undisputed best of all time.
- Read next | Spain vs. Argentina player ratings: Which players lifted La Roja to second World Cup triumph?
It didn't happen that way, of course. Messi was hardly allowed to get close to the ball as Spain continued their historic run as the stingiest team in World Cup history.
Even so, as the clock ticked down in both normal time and extra time, there was a feeling that Argentina could pull one more rabbit out of their hat. If Messi could get on the ball on the right flank, maybe he could weave one more bit of magic after having done so several times in this tournament already.
Unfortunately, even GOATs have their limits, and Spain kept Argentina — as a whole — safely away from goal for nearly two full hours, not allowing a shot of any kind until deep into extra time.
The Argentines ultimately finished with just three shots: None on target. None by Messi.
Sporting competition is based on the cruel reality that there must be a winner, which means that there must also be a loser.
For the great Lionel Messi, getting so close to going out on perfect terms only to be denied in such a harsh fashion is the cruellest reality of them all.
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