Spain were crowned world champions for the second time after defeating Argentina 1-0 in extra time, with La Albiceleste already down to ten men when the decisive goal was scored. Substitute Ferrán Torres netted the winner, while Messi was denied a second World Cup title.
While Spain celebrated their second world crown, Argentina’s dream of winning a fourth remains alive for another four years. At the same time, it was most likely the farewell of Lionel Messi, the greatest icon in the nation’s football history.
At 39 years of age, the No. 10 appears to have played his final World Cup match, missing out on a second title after reaching three World Cup finals. Curiously, it was also the first time in his professional career that he faced Spain.
Lionel Messi made history wearing the Barcelona shirt, building an extraordinary legacy in Catalonia between 2005 and 2021. It was in Spain that the Argentine emerged as one of the greatest footballers of all time, scoring goals, collecting trophies and rewriting the record books.
In fact, Messi came close to representing Spain internationally. While progressing through Barcelona’s academy, he was still largely unknown in Argentina and attracted the attention of the Spanish Football Federation. Marcelo Bielsa and Claudio Vivas, then Argentina’s head coach and assistant coach, discovered the youngster through a DVD and moved quickly to ensure he would represent Argentina instead.
The only previous time Messi had faced Spain came in the quarter-finals of the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup in the Netherlands. Argentina won 3-1, with the then No. 18 getting on the scoresheet before the team eventually lifted the trophy. In the first professional meeting between Messi and Spain, however, the Spaniards came out on top.
