Read 3 minutesUpdated: 18 July 2026 12:30 PM IST
Lionel Messi has literally won everything there is to win in international and club football as he reaches his third World Cup final with Argentina in New Jersey on Sunday. The 39-year-old looks in high spirits ahead of the summit clash in Spain, carrying the burden of winning a multi-continental title with the Albiceleste four years ago.
When he starts the final at MetLife Stadium, Messi will touch another World Cup record, becoming only the second man after Brazil’s Cafu to appear in three tournament finals.
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Is there room for a greater accomplishment? Will a World Cup Double Double raise the global standard or is it already in the game?
That’s Messi’s belief, responding to a journalist who compared the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner’s career to an endless video game.
• “Your career is like a video game, you keep unlocking new levels until you reach the final round.”
Lion Messi: “In the last World Cup I already finished the game..” pic.twitter.com/5PH8Xcuhho
— All about Argentina 🛎🇦🇷 (@AlbicelesteTalk) 17 July 2026
“In the last World Cup I already finished the game. The game is already over,” Messi jokingly claimed on the sidelines of the World Cup final pre-match event on Friday.
Messi highlighted the gritty spirit his side have shown throughout the tournament and confirmed the Argentina camp is not focused on the pressure that comes with the occasion.
Pressure, no pressure
“We grew up playing football with a lot of passion, always eager to play, have fun and enjoy ourselves, wherever we are. Whether it’s at school, on the street or in a team, since we were kids we all started in the neighborhood team,” Messi told TyC Sports.
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“I think we never think about pressure, we take it as natural, to play and have a good time. We are a competitive group, we like to win but it’s a team game, rivals play and you can’t always win. As a child I learned that you lose more than you win and that made me grow as a person and as a player,” Messi said.
Leading the race for the Ballon d’Or ahead of the final, Messi will lead Argentina’s bid to become the first team in 64 years to defend the title since Brazil in 1962. The FC Barcelona legend last played against Spain 16 years ago and Argentina won 4-1.