Matthäus explains why Messi disappeared in the final

Former Germany and Bayern Munich defender Lothar Matthäus shared his thoughts on the 2026 World Cup final, Lionel Messiappearing much more passive than usual. He emphasized that this was less about the Argentine's physical condition and more about Spain's well-executed tactical plan.

Matthäus stated that Spain looked stronger than their opponent in the final and that Argentina failed to put on a performance worthy of the championship.

“Messi was a shadow of himself”

In his comments to Bild, Lothar Matthäus was critical of Messi's performance in the decisive match.

“Messi was a shadow of himself in the final. But that is certainly due to the way the Spanish national team played,” he said.

The former player believes the Spaniards deprived the Argentina captain of space to receive the ball. Messi could not act as a link between attacks and had almost no opportunities to create decisive chances in front of goal.

How did Spain isolate Messi?

It is noted that in the final, Spain did not use a single man-marker against Messi, but rather a collective defensive system.

Every time the Argentina captain received the ball, he was pressured by several players. By leaving no space between the midfield and defensive lines, the Spanish restricted Messi's freedom of movement.

As a result, he:

• could not accelerate attacks;

• did not receive the ball freely near the penalty area;

• could not contribute with a goal or an assist.

According to Matthäus's assessment, Spain neutralized Argentina's most dangerous weapon through this exact plan.

His least effective game of the tournament

Until the final, Messi had been the main leader of the Argentina national team at the 2026 World Cup.

Reports indicate that he had scored in every match leading up to the semifinals. Although he did not score against England in the semifinal, he contributed significantly to his team's victory by providing two assists.

Only in the final was Messi unable to make any productive contribution. This was his most passive match of the entire tournament.

“Argentina did not deserve to win”

Matthäus also praised Spain's overall performance. According to him, the Spaniards were superior to their opponent in ball control, pressure, and defensive discipline in the final.

The former defender emphasized that Argentina did not play at a championship-worthy level in the decisive match. He believes Spain secured the victory not through a fluke, but through their dominance throughout the game.

The final remains a difficult memory for Messi

Argentina reached the final by playing attacking and effective football throughout the tournament. However, in the decisive match, the team's most important player was isolated.

While Messi had influenced results with goals and assists in previous matches, Spain left him no such opportunity in the final. Matthäus believes this was one of the key factors that decided the fate of the championship match.