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Argentina captain Lionel Messi entered the finals of the 2026 World Cup with a priceless opportunity on his shoulders.
Messi was not only playing to win the World Cup title, but also looking to continue breaking records after an exceptional journey to the 2026 World Cup.
Argentina’s Ragout entered the World Cup final against Spain looking to increase his goal tally to chase down Kylian Mbappe as the World Cup’s all-time top scorer and the current World Cup Golden Boot.
Messi was also aiming to win the World Cup, boosting his chances of competing for the Ballon d’Or in 2026.
Leo also hoped to become Argentina’s first captain, lead his country to two consecutive World Cup titles and add a fourth star to the tango jersey.
But Messi lost everything in 120 minutes to Spain’s El Matador, who imposed his control throughout the match until Ferran Torres’ goal in the 106th minute.
Messi failed to score against the matador, so his tally froze at 8 goals and he finished second on the list of the top scorers of the 2026 World Cup, two goals behind the leader Mbappe.
Messi is also the all-time World Cup scorer with 21 goals, one goal behind Mbappe.
Mbappe became the all-time World Cup goalscorer after scoring a brace against England in a 4-6 defeat, taking the France international’s tally to 22.
Messi’s chances of competing for the Ballon d’Or have also fallen after missing out on the World Cup title, while Spanish star Lamine Yamal’s chances of winning the Ballon d’Or have increased with expected competition from France’s Ousmane Dembele, who led Paris Saint-Germain to the Champions League title.
