Argentina captain Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi could have ended all debate over who is the greatest player of all time by winning another World Cup with Argentina on Sunday, but he was left in tears following Spain’s 1-0 win.
Messi, now 39, dragged the holders to another final, scoring eight goals and also providing two assists in the dramatic late comeback against England in the semi-finals.
But the dream of lifting the trophy again, four years after he inspired Argentina to victory in Qatar, ultimately proved too good to be true.
Ten-man Argentina did not lay a glove on Spain at the MetLife Stadium, and were lucky to survive until the 106th minute, when Ferran Torres finally broke the deadlock.
