NEW DELHI: Will Lionel Messi retire? Was the FIFA World Cup 2026 final his last appearance on football’s biggest stage? Those questions dominated discussions as Argentina took on Spain in the final at the New York New Jersey Stadium. Argentina’s title defence ended with a 1-0 extra-time defeat, but head coach Lionel Scaloni made it clear that Messi’s future would be entirely his own decision. After the final, Scaloni praised the 39-year-old captain and said Messi would continue playing for as long as he wanted.“Well, he’s 39 years old now. Unbelievable. There’s nothing new to discover from my side. It was crystal clear for me that he’s going to play up until he decided to do so, and that all the team players, team-mates, and all of his people were going to support him. And I’m sure I hope that everyone feels proud of him, of what he’s achieved, because he’s the best football player ever,” Scaloni said as quoted by The Athletic.Scaloni’s comments came after Argentina fell short in their bid to defend the World Cup title they won in Qatar in 2022.
Spain end Argentina’s reign
Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 after extra time to lift their second FIFA World Cup title and their first since 2010.Substitute Ferran Torres scored the only goal of the match in the 106th minute, beating Emiliano Martinez with a powerful finish after a move involving Lamine Yamal, Pedro Porro and Nico Williams.The victory completed a remarkable campaign for Spain, who went unbeaten throughout the tournament and conceded only one goal in eight matches.
Torres and Yamal shine for Spain
Torres also made history by becoming only the fifth substitute to score in 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 just the second Barcelona player to score in a World Cup final after Andres Iniesta’s extra-time winner for 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.
Spain’s complete team effort
Spain’s title-winning campaign was built on strong performances across the squad.Rodri controlled the midfield throughout the tournament, Mikel Oyarzabal finished with five goals to end among the leading scorers, while goalkeeper Unai Simon won the Golden Glove after a string of impressive displays.Spain started 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, edged Portugal 1-0 in the Round of 16, beat Belgium 2-1 in the quarter-finals and overcame France 2-0 in the semi-finals.In the final, Spain dominated possession, created far more chances than Argentina and defeated the defending champions to seal another World Cup crown.
