Lionel Messi was left in tears on the pitch in New Jersey on Sunday as Spain brought Argentina’s reign as world champions to an end with a 1-0 extra-time victory in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, in what is widely believed to be the 39-year-old’s final appearance at the tournament.
The decisive moment came in the 106th minute when Ferran Torres found the breakthrough to settle a gruelling final that lasted three hours, including a 27-minute half-time interval.
The victory secured Spain’s second World Cup title, while Argentina, who entered the contest as defending champions, could not produce an equaliser.
🏆🏆🇪🇸 SPAIN LIFT THE WORLD CUP FOR THE SECOND TIME IN THEIR HISTORY! 👏🏼
A fantastic campaign for Luis de la Fuente’s team. pic.twitter.com/W5z5yP5Lpd
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 19, 2026
According to Sky Sports, the 39-year-old Messi, widely regarded as the greatest footballer of all time, endured a relatively quiet outing, managing just 54 touches of the ball throughout the match.
The Argentina captain also failed to claim any of the tournament’s major individual awards.
France forward Kylian Mbappé finished as the competition’s leading scorer to win the Golden Boot, while Spanish midfielder Rodri was named the tournament’s best player after receiving the Golden Ball.
Yamal walks over to console Messi
Following the final whistle, Spain’s teenage star Lamine Yamal crossed the pitch to approach Messi, who was among the devastated Argentina players, Yahoo Sports reports.
The 19-year-old, who only recently celebrated his birthday, embraced Messi before receiving congratulations from the Argentine legend for winning his first World Cup title.
Lamine Yamal comforting Lionel Messi after the final is easily the most wholesome moment you’ll see today. 🥹❤️ pic.twitter.com/efGNbaWc4A
— MC (@CrewsMat10) July 19, 2026
Yamal has now added a World Cup winners’ medal to his European Championship triumph before reaching the age of 20.
For Messi, meanwhile, the tournament ends with Argentina having successfully defended the title they secured in Qatar in 2022, before Spain stopped them from completing a second successive World Cup triumph.
