New Delhi: Will Lionel Messi retire? Was FIFA World Cup 2026 his last appearance on football’s biggest stage? These questions were the ones that used to be discussed when Argentina faced Spain in the finals at the New York Stadium in New Jersey. Argentina’s title defense ended with a 1-0 extra-time defeat, but head coach Lionel Scaloni said Messi’s future will be his decision. After the finish, Scaloni praised the 39-year-old captain and said Messi will continue to play as long as he wants.“Well, he’s 39 years old now. No surprise. There’s nothing new that can come out from my side. It was clear to me that he was going to play until he decided to, and that all the players on the team, his teammates, and all his people were supporting him. And I believe that everyone is proud of him, for what he has achieved, because he is the best player of all time,” Scaloni said in The Athletic.Scaloni’s comments came after Argentina failed to defend the World Cup title they won in Qatar in 2022.
Spain ends Argentina’s rule
Spain beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time to lift their second FIFA World Cup title and first since 2010.Substitute Ferran Torres scored the only goal of the game in the 106th minute, beating Emiliano Martinez and finishing powerfully after moves from Lamine Yamal, Pedro Porro and Nico Williams.The win capped off a remarkable campaign for Spain, who are unbeaten in the competition and have scored just one goal in eight games.
Torres and Yamal shine in Spain
Torres also made history by becoming only the fifth substitute to enter a FIFA World Cup final and the first since Germany’s Mario Götze scored the winner against Argentina in the 2014 final.He also became the second Barcelona player to win the World Cup after Andres Iniesta’s extra-time winner against Spain in 2010.Nineteen-year-old Lamine Yamal lifted the World Cup in the biggest moment of his young career, just two years after helping Spain win UEFA Euro 2024.
Full training for the Spanish team
Spain’s title-winning campaign was built on strong performances across the board.Rodri dominated the midfield throughout the match, Mikel Oyarzabal finished with five goals to finish among the top scorers, while goalkeeper Unai Simon won the Golden Glove after a series of impressive displays.Spain began their campaign with a goalless draw against Cape Verde before beating Saudi Arabia 4-0 and Uruguay 1-0 to top Group H.They then defeated Austria 3-0 in the Round of 32, defeated Portugal 1-0 in the Round of 16, defeated Belgium 2-1 in the quarter-finals and defeated France 2-0 in the semi-finals.In the end, Spain dominated, created more chances than Argentina and defeated the defenders to seal another World Cup crown.
