Lionel Messi’s dream of ending his World Cup career with another title came to a heartbreaking end as Argentina lost 1-0 to Spain after extra time in the FIFA World Cup final at New York New Jersey Stadium, failing to defend the title they won four years ago.
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The final also had individual stakes for Messi, who was in the race for the Golden Boot. However, France’s Kylian Mbappé moved ahead after scoring twice in France’s 6-4 defeat to England in the third-place playoff, taking his tournament tally to 10 goals. Messi needed at least two goals in the final to reclaim the lead but endured a frustrating night.
Argentina failed to register a single shot on target across 120 minutes, with Spain dominating the match by producing 20 shots, including 12 on target, while goalkeeper Unai Simón was rarely tested.
Spain finally broke the deadlock in the 106th minute when substitute Ferran Torres scored the winner, securing the nation’s second World Cup title since 2010.
The defeat also ended Messi’s hopes of winning the Golden Boot, with Mbappé finishing as the tournament’s top scorer. With the next World Cup four years away, Messi will be 43, making another appearance on football’s biggest stage highly unlikely, bringing the curtain down on one of the game’s greatest World Cup careers.
