Lionel MessiThe glittering journey to the World Cup ended in sadness, but the love from Argentina’s supporters never faded. Moments after Spain beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final at MetLife Stadium, emotional scenes unfolded as Messi struggled to hold back tears as thousands of Argentine fans rose to honor the man who carried their hopes for two decades. Even in defeat, chanting “Messi! Messi!” echoed around the stadium as the Argentina faithful continued to chant for their captain. With a look of sadness on his face, the 39-year-old stood next to his team-mates and acknowledged the applause from the supporters as Spain celebrated lifting the trophy in the middle of the pitch. The defeat ended Argentina’s hopes of becoming the first country in more than 50 years to successfully defend the FIFA World Cup. Ferran Torres settled the match just 37 seconds into the second period of extra time after being set up by Nico Williams, giving Spain a 1-0 win and their second world title. Messi, who has inspired Argentina to World Cup glory in 2022 and also led the country to back-to-back Copa América titles, endured a disappointing night as Spain’s disciplined display denied him any chance to influence the final. While Lamine Yamal rushed to celebrate Torres’ victory, Messi just lowered his head in disappointment.Spain’s dominance can be seen in the numbers. Luis de la Fuente’s side outshot Argentina 20-2, the second biggest shot differential in a World Cup final since records began in 1966, and completed 845 passes compared to Argentina’s 433. The newly crowned champions also finished the tournament conceding just one goal while extending their unbeaten run to a European-record 38 games. Messi, who appeared in a record 34th World Cup match in six editions, found little space against Spain’s organized defense. He made just 15 touches in the first half and finished the game with 54, rarely receiving the ball in dangerous positions. Spain coach Luis de la Fuente admitted that containing Messi has become central to his team’s game plan. “The first idea was to stop Messi,” he said. After the final whistle, several Spanish players crossed the pitch to hug and comfort the Argentina captain. Messi eventually sank to the turf, staring into the distance before rising to collect his runner-up medal. Spain later formed a guard of honor as Argentina walked to the podium. Messi tried to smile but his disappointment was unmistakable, with several Spanish players patting him on the back in a gesture of respect. As golden confetti rained down on Spain’s celebrations, Messi quietly left the field wearing his silver medal. His shoulders slumped and his expression showed the pain of a dream gone, as Argentina’s supporters continued to chant his name in appreciation of a career that has inspired generations.