The tears welled up Lionel MessiHis face turned away with a silver medal around his neck. Spain beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time FIFA World Cup final, ending the title defense of the defending champions and what could be the last World Cup appearance of the greatest footballer the game has seen.Twenty years after making his World Cup debut, the 39-year-old could not produce another miracle. Argentina, chasing back-to-back World Cup titles, were beaten by Spain for long periods at MetLife Stadium, where 80,663 spectators largely turned up hoping to see their Messi-ah lift the trophy once more.Instead, it was Spain celebrating its second World Cup title.Ferran Torres scored just 37 seconds into second-half extra time to settle the final after Spain had dominated the contest from the opening whistle. As the Spanish players celebrated, Messi stood with his teammates, fighting back tears as Argentina supporters cheered him on from the stands.Messi, head bowed, hands on hips, watched 19-year-old Lamine Yamal hug Torres after the winning goal. Moments later, with tears streaming down her cheeks, she collected her runner-up medal as Spain celebrated amid confetti and fireworks.“I hope everyone feels proud of him, of what he has achieved because he is the best football player who has ever set foot on a pitch,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said after the match.The statistics reflect Spain’s dominance in the final. Luis de la Fuente’s side outscored Argentina 20-2 and completed 845 passes to Argentina’s 433. According to Opta, the 18-shot difference was the second biggest in a World Cup final since records began in 1966, behind only West Germany’s 23-1 advantage over Argentina in the 1990 final.Spain also succeeded where few teams have ever managed to do – they kept Messi quiet.“The first idea was to keep Messi at a distance,” Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said.Messi managed just 15 touches in the first half and finished with 54 touches in the match. I never found the space to create the moments that had carried Argentina through the tournament. His passes into dangerous areas were not connected and he rarely received the ball in positions from where he could threaten Spain’s defense.
That was not the story of Argentina’s campaign until the end.After leaving European football for Major League Soccer three years ago, some wondered if 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 through the group stage and knockout rounds. Against England in the semi-final, I set up both goals in a stoppage-time victory. Against Egypt, with Argentina 2-0 up and facing elimination, he provided the cross for the first goal before scoring the equalizer himself.Throughout the tournament, Messi has once again shown his ability to influence matches despite covering less ground than his teammates. He walked for almost half the time he spent on the pitch, averaging around five kilometers per game, conserving energy before producing quality bursts whenever Argentina needed him.Against Spain, however, that moment never came.If it was his last, then Messi would end his World Cup career with 21 goals, a record that stood until France’s Kylian Mbappe scored twice in the third to take him to 22. He also became the first player to start three World Cup finals and has 125 international goals, second only to Cristiano Ronaldo’s 146.His accomplishments extend far beyond statistics.Winner of the World Cup in 2022. Consecutive Copa América titles. Four UEFA Champions League trophies. Twelve league titles in spells with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, only player in football history to win 8 Ballon d’Or awards. A career that put him on the side Diego Maradona and Pelé in football’s biggest debates.As the final whistle blew, the Spanish players lined up to console him. Many hugged him before Argentina collected their silver medals. When Spain formed a guard of honor for the finalists, Messi tried to smile, but he could not. His expression barely changed as opponents jabbed him in the back as he walked to the podium.If this was indeed his last appearance on football’s biggest stage, it ended without the fairytale ending that many had hoped for.It wasn’t because Messi failed to prove. Spain gave him no room to operate. Their midfield led by Rodri controlled possession, limited Argentina’s attacks and prevented Messi from dictating the game as he had done throughout the tournament.The final did not achieve the end he wanted, but it does little to change the way his career will be remembered.Maybe it wasn’t the end Messi imagined. It may not even be the end. Whether it will be Messi’s last World Cup appearance or not will only become clear when he decides. But if that was the last image of him on football’s biggest stage, it was one of tears, not triumph.However, the defeat in New Jersey cannot undo a career that has already secured its place among the greatest the sport has known. If this is to be his sign of tears, the fans will always remember being blessed by the greatest football player of all time.