Tears rolled down Lionel MessiHis face as he walked away with a silver medal around his neck. Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 in overtime. fifa world cup The final ended the reigning champions’ title defence, in what may well be the last World Cup appearance by the greatest footballer of all time.Twenty years after his World Cup debut, the 39-year-old has been unable to perform miracles again. Argentina, chasing back-to-back World Cup titles, were outplayed by Spain at MetLife Stadium in front of a mostly 80,663-strong crowd to watch their Lionel Messi lift the trophy once again.Instead, Spain are celebrating their second World Cup title.Ferran Torres scored just 37 seconds into the second half of overtime as Spain dominated the game from the opening whistle. Messi stood with his teammates and fought back tears as the Spanish players celebrated, while Argentinian fans applauded them from the stands.Messi lowered his head and put his hands on his hips as he watched 19-year-old Lamine Yamal embrace Torres after the winning goal. Moments later, in tears, he accepted his runner-up medal while Spain celebrated amid confetti and fireworks.Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said after the game: “I hope everyone is proud of him and what he has achieved because he is the best footballer to ever step onto the pitch.”The statistics reflected Spain’s dominance in the final. Luis de la Fuente’s side beat Argentina 20-2, completing 845 passes to Argentina’s 433. According to Opta, the 18-shot margin was the second-largest in a World Cup final since records began in 1966, behind only West Germany’s 23-1 shot lead in the 1990 final.Spain also achieved something that few teams have been able to do – they silenced Messi.“The first thought was to stop Messi,” Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said.Messi touched the ball only 15 times in the first half and 54 times in the whole game. He never found enough space to create the moments that led Argentina through the World Cup. His passes into dangerous areas were unsuccessful and he rarely received the ball in a position where he could threaten Spain’s defence.
This was not Argentina’s story until the final.After leaving European football to join Major League Soccer three years ago, some questioned whether Messi’s best days were behind him. Instead, he led Argentina to another World Cup final with eight goals and four assists.His eight goals helped Argentina advance to the group stage and knockout rounds. In the semi-final against England, he scored twice in stoppage time to help the team win. Against Egypt, with Argentina trailing 2-0 and facing elimination, he scored the first goal from a cross and then equalized himself.Throughout the game, Messi once again showed his ability to influence a game despite having less floor space than his teammates. He spends nearly half his time on the pitch, walking an average of about five kilometers per game, conserving energy before bursting into explosive action when Argentina needs him.Against Spain, however, that moment never came.If this was his last World Cup, Messi would end his World Cup career with 21 goals, a record that would stand until France’s Kylian Mbappe scored twice in the third-place final to take his tally to 22. He also became the first player to start in three World Cup finals and has 125 international goals, second only to Cristiano Ronaldo’s 146.His achievements go far beyond statistics.2022 World Cup Champions. Consecutive America’s Cup champions. Four Champions League trophies. He won 12 league titles with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain and is the only player in football history to win 8 Ballon d’Or awards. A career alongside him Diego Maradona and Pele in the greatest debate in football history.When the final whistle blew, Spanish players lined up to console him. Several people hugged Argentina before he won the silver medal. As Spain formed a guard of honor for the runners-up, Messi tried to smile but couldn’t. Opponents patted him on the back as he stepped onto the stage, his expression barely changing.If this was indeed his final appearance on football’s biggest stage, it didn’t end like the fairytale ending many had hoped for.It’s not because Messi doesn’t try. Spain simply gave him no room to operate. The midfield led by Rodri dominated possession, limiting Argentina’s attacks and preventing Messi from dominating the game like he had done throughout the match.The final may not have ended the way he wanted, but that doesn’t change how his career will be remembered.This may not be the ending Messi imagined. This might not even be the end. Whether this is Messi’s last World Cup appearance will only be clear when he makes his decision. But if these are his last pictures on football’s biggest stage, they will be in tears, not victory.However, failure in New Jersey cannot ruin his place in what is already one of the greatest careers in the sport. If this was his tearful farewell, fans will still recall being blessed by the greatest player in football history.
