Read 4 minutes20 Jul 2026 07:47 PM IST
They lost 1-0 to Spain in the World Cup final in New Jersey on Sunday. Lionel Messi Argentina failed to defend their crown. After Messi won his first World Cup in 2022, many hoped Argentina would make history by lifting the trophy in 2026.
French striker Kylian Mbappe won the Ballon d’Or with ten goals, while Messi was stuck on eight goals in Sunday’s final against Spain. The 39-year-old played his part in Argentina’s comeback to a 2-1 win over England in the semi-finals with assists from Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez.
Former Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic believes the Argentina star had an amazing World Cup and there were moments when Messi was human.
“We enjoyed him during this World Cup. I know he’s sad that he didn’t win the World Cup, but he had a wonderful World Cup. He kept this team alive. He did some amazing things. He had moments where he was the man. He had moments where he wasn’t the man,” Ibrahimovic told Fox Sports.
Sunday’s World Cup final was Messi’s sixth World Cup, with the Argentina star making his first in 2006. He scored eight goals in this World Cup, including a hat-trick against Algeria in Argentina’s Group J match. With a total of 21 goals, Messi is now the second leading goalscorer in World Cup history.
He broke Miroslav Klose’s previous record of 16 goals with three goals against Algeria, and Mbappe surpassed his final tally of 21 goals with 22 goals in World Cup history. In the 2022 World Cup, Messi scored a total of seven goals and won the Golden Ball, becoming the first player to win the World Cup Golden Ball twice after winning the award in the 2014 World Cup.
Although Messi was left in tears after the defeat, it is unclear whether he will play at the next World Cup in 2030, when he will be 43 years old. “I hope he can continue to play as much as possible, so we can enjoy him even more. Will we see him in another World Cup? I don’t know, you never know. But we’ve enjoyed him, and we’re glad he plays the game because we’ll be very sad when he stops playing,” Ibrahimovic added.
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Argentina and Spain players clashed in the final, while Messi was seen in tears. Messi looked devastated as the Argentina captain missed out on a chance to win a World Cup title. Former French striker and 1998 World Cup winner Thierry Henry shared how important it is for Messi to play in the World Cup. “See what he (Lionel Messi) means. If you ever doubted the guy still has fire in his belly, look at him. See what he means,” Henry said. “Look at this. Everybody’s clapping, because you look at him and he means it. You’ve already won everything. And look at that man. Look at the passion and desire and love for his country and how much he puts into it.” Henry told Fox Sports.