New Delhi: Will Lionel Messi retire? Was the 2026 World Cup final his last appearance on football’s biggest stage? These questions dominated the discussions when Argentina faced Spain in the final match in New York, New Jersey.
Argentina’s title defense ended in a 1-0 defeat in extra time, but coach Lionel Scaloni made clear that Messi’s future would be entirely his decision.
After the final, Scaloni praised the 39-year-old captain and said Messi would continue playing as long as he wanted.“Well, he’s 39 now. It’s unbelievable. There’s nothing new to discover on my part. It was very clear to me that he will play until he decides to do so, and that all the players, his teammates and all his teammates will support him.”
“I sure hope everyone feels proud of him and what he has achieved, because he is the best footballer ever,” Scaloni said.Scaloni’s statements came after Argentina failed to defend the World Cup title that it won in Qatar in 2022.
Spain ends Argentine rule
Spain beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time to win its second FIFA World Cup title and first since 2010.Substitute Ferran Torres scored the only goal of the match in the 106th minute, beating Emiliano Martinez with a powerful shot after a move involving Lamine Yamal, Pedro Porro and Neco Williams.
The victory completed Spain’s wonderful journey, which had not lost throughout the tournament and had only conceded one goal in eight matches.
Torres and Yamal shine for Spain
Torres also made history when he became only the fifth substitute to score in a World Cup final and the first since German Mario Götze scored the winning goal against Argentina in the 2014 final.He also became the second Barcelona player to score in a World Cup final after Andres Iniesta’s extra-time goal for Spain in 2010.19-year-old Lamine Yamal lifted the World Cup in the biggest moment of his young career, just two years after helping Spain win Euro 2024.
Spain is a total team effort
Spain’s title campaign was built on strong performances throughout the squad.Rodri dominated the midfield throughout the tournament, Mikel Oyarzabal finished with five goals to finish as top scorer, while goalkeeper Unai Simon won the Gold Glove after a series of impressive performances.Spain began its campaign with a goalless draw with Cape Verde before defeating Saudi Arabia 4-0 and Uruguay 1-0 to lead Group H.Then they beat Austria 3-0 in the round of 32, beat Portugal 1-0 in the round of 16, beat Belgium 2-1 in the quarter-finals, and beat France 2-0 in the semi-finals.In the final, Spain dominated possession, created far more chances than Argentina and defeated the defending champions to win the World Cup once again.
