Lionel Messi could not hold back his tears this Sunday at the end of the 2026 World Cup awards ceremony, after Argentina lost 1-0 to Spain in the final held at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which was also the captain's last World Cup match.
The goal by Ferran Torres in extra time secured the title for Spain and left Argentina with the runner-up medal, thwarting the dream of consecutive championships that the Albiceleste had been chasing since Qatar 2022.
During the minutes following the final whistle, Messi sat on the grass for a long time, staring blankly and showing almost no emotions. He was the first in line to receive his silver medal, which was presented to him by the President of the United States, Donald Trump.
The breaking point came when he stepped off the stage and turned to face the Argentine crowd. In front of the fans who were singing and cheering for him, the Rosario star broke down in tears, visibly overwhelmed. Beside him, as he had been almost throughout the tournament, was Rodrigo De Paul, who also shed tears.
After a few minutes, and once Spain lifted the trophy, they went to the locker room.
Lionel Messi has one of the most extraordinary World Cup careers ever seen in football. The 2026 tournament marked his sixth World Cup, 20 years after his debut in the 2006 tournament in Germany. He is the player with the most matches played (34), started in 31 of them, and accumulated 3,055 minutes on the field.
With their offensive production in this Cup, they reached 21 goals and 12 assists, totaling 33 direct contributions to goals, making them the second top scorer in the history of these competitions.
Regarding titles, he lifted the Cup in Qatar 2022 and reached two more finals, in Brazil 2014 and United States-Mexico-Canada 2026, both ending with the runner-up position for the Albiceleste.
He was chosen as the World Cup Golden Ball in 2014 and 2022, while he won the Silver Boot in the 2022 and 2026 editions.
Hours before the final, Messi posted an emotional message on Instagram that hinted at the significance of the moment: "No one will be able to erase this story." In that same post, he wrote: "The most beautiful thing... was never just the titles, but the entire journey. Sharing day by day with this group."
The runner-up of the 2026 World Cup will receive 33 million dollars in prizes, compared to the 50 million that Spain will take home as champions.
It was not the first time Messi cried in a major tournament: he also did so after the comeback against Egypt in the group stage of this very World Cup, and in the 2024 Copa América, he finished the final injured and in tears, although on that occasion Argentina won 1-0. However, the tears on this Sunday were of a definitive farewell, the closing of a World Cup story that, as he himself wrote, "we will never forget."
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