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The tears were rolling Lionel Messiface as he left with a silver medal around his neck. Spain beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time FIFA World Cup final, ending the title defense and what could be the final World Cup appearance of the greatest footballer the game has seen.Twenty years after making his World Cup debut, the 39-year-old couldn’t pull off another miracle. Argentina, chasing back-to-back World Cup titles, were outplayed by Spain for a long time at the MetLife Stadium, where 80,663 spectators turned up mostly hoping to watch their Messi lift the trophy once more.Instead, Spain was celebrating its second World Cup title.Ferran Torres scored just 37 seconds into the second half of extra time to settle the final after Spain dominated the contest from the first whistle. As the Spanish players celebrated, Messi stood with his team-mates, fighting back tears as Argentina fans applauded them from the stands.Messi, head bowed, hands on hips, watched 19-year-old Lamine Yamal hug Torres after the winning goal. Moments later, with tears streaming down his cheeks, he collected his runner-up medal as Spain celebrated amid confetti and fireworks.“I hope everyone is proud of him, of what he has achieved because he is the best footballer who has ever stepped on the pitch,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said after the game.The statistics reflected Spain’s dominance in the final. Luis de la Fuente’s team outscored Argentina 20-2 and completed 845 passes to Argentina’s 433. According to Opta, the 18-shot margin was the second-largest in a World Cup final since records began in 1966, behind only West Germany’s 23-1 shot advantage over Argentina in the 1990 final.Spain also where few teams managed to do it — they kept Messi quiet.“The first idea was to keep Messi out,” Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said.Messi managed just 15 touches in the first half and finished with 54 touches in the match. He never found the space to create the moments that carried Argentina through the tournament. His passes into dangerous areas failed to connect and he rarely received the ball in positions from which he could threaten the Spanish defense.
That was not the story of Argentina’s campaign to the final.After leaving European football for Major League Soccer three years ago, some wondered if Messi’s best days were behind him. Instead, he led Argentina back to another World Cup final with eight goals and four assists.His eight goals helped Argentina through the group stage and the knockout round. Against England in the semi-finals, he set up both goals in the stoppage time victory. Against Egypt, with Argentina trailing 2–0 and facing elimination, he scored the opener before scoring the equalizer himself.During the tournament, Messi once again showed his ability to influence matches despite playing less than his teammates. He walked almost half the time he spent on the pitch, averaging around five kilometers per game, conserving his energy before producing bursts of quality whenever Argentina needed him.However, that moment did not come against Spain.If this was his last, then Messi ends his World Cup career with 21 goals, a record that stood until France’s Kylian Mbappe scored twice in the third-place playoff to move to 22. He also became the first player to start in three World Cup finals and has 125 international goals, just behind Cristiano Ronaldo’s 146.His achievements go far beyond statistics.2022 World Cup winner Back-to-back Copa América titles. Four UEFA Champions League trophies. Twelve championship titles through periods with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, the only player in the history of football to win 8 Ballon d’Or awards. A career that placed him alongside Diego Maradona and Pelé in the biggest football debates ever.As the final whistle blew, Spain’s players lined up to console him. Several hugged him before Argentina claimed their silver medals. When Spain formed a guard of honor for the runners-up, Messi tried to smile but failed. His expression barely changed as his opponents patted him on the back as he walked to the podium.If this was indeed his last appearance on football’s biggest stage, it ended without the fairytale ending many had hoped for.It wasn’t because Messi didn’t try. Spain simply did not give him the space to operate. Their midfield led by Rodrigo controlled possession, limited Argentina’s attacks and prevented Messi from dictating the game in the way he did throughout the tournament.The final may not have brought the ending he wanted, but it does little to change the way his career will be remembered.Maybe it wasn’t the end Messi envisioned. Maybe it’s not the end. Whether or not this will be Messi’s last appearance at the World Cup will only be clear when he decides. But if these were his last pictures on football’s biggest stage, they were pictures of tears, not triumphs.However, a loss in New Jersey cannot undo a career that has already secured its place among the greatest the sport has known. If this is going to be his tearful sign, fans will continue to look back on being blessed with the greatest football player of all time.
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