World Cup: Lionel Messi says goodbye in tears, Spain is the new champion

The football world witnessed another historic turning point. The 2026 World Cup final, held at MetLife Stadium in the USA, ended in an unexpected and painful defeat for the Argentina national team. The defending champions lost a hard-fought match against Spain, missing the chance to win back-to-back gold medals. This is reported by Goal.com .

The score remained goalless in regular time, but a goal scored by Ferran Torres at the start of the second half of extra time decided the fate of the match. According to Goal.com, the Spain national team held clear dominance throughout the game. Statistics confirm this: "La Roja" fired 20 shots at the opponent's goal, while Argentina was limited to just 2 shots.

Lionel Messi and his final hopes

For 39-year-old Lionel Messi, this tournament went down in history as his sixth World Cup. The legendary forward, who tried to repeat his 2022 victory in Qatar, could not hold back his emotions after the final whistle. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner crying openly in the center of the pitch became the most touching and unforgettable moment of this final.

Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente admitted before the game that the main plan was to neutralize the threat of Lionel Messi. "Our first task was to cut Messi out of the game," the coach said. Spanish players also tried to console the dejected Argentina captain before celebrating their victory.

Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni defended his captain after the match. Although he did not provide specific information about Messi's future, he highlighted his place in world football. "He is the greatest player of all time to step onto the pitch. I hope everyone is proud of what he has achieved," the specialist emphasized.

This defeat ended Argentina's chance to break the 1962 Brazil record of defending the championship title. Spain, meanwhile, has ascended to the world throne for the second time in its history. Now, the entire football community is wondering: was this Lionel Messi's final match for the national team? So far, the player has not made an official statement regarding this.