First match? Triple! As in the theater, Lionel Messi gave the three shots announcing the show to come as a curtain-raiser to a World Cup that he lit up, but the 39-year-old artist missed his exit, Sunday in the final.
Before his last act, a failure against Spain (1-0 defeat after extra time), the eight-time Ballon d’Or had offered a 2026 vintage of the highest quality, a mixture of confusing dribbles and lightning goals, a version closer to his Barcelona golden age than to his PSG ghost.
8 goals and 4 assists in 7 matches (before the final). Lionel Messi walked on water during this 2026 World Cup. He was decisive in every game.
Spain much too strong
“It’s worthy of Hollywood,” like a scenario that “would never happen in real life,” summarizes Thierry Henry on Fox Sports. “This guy is writing history with his feet, it’s unreal,” insists the former French striker, who rubbed shoulders with the “pulga” (the flea) at Barça.
Physically, the almost forty-year-old seemed to find a second youth during this sixth personal World Cup. He knows his body perfectly, makes sure not to make unnecessary runs and is left with crazy energy at the end of each match.
On the other hand, he did not produce any magical or decisive moment in a final dominated head and foot by Spain, with its formidable defense, only found wanting once in eight matches.
At the end of the match, Lionel Messi sat alone on the grass. Then, with his medal around his neck, he looked at the Argentine public with tears in his eyes. Inconsolable. As if it were a final goodbye.
