Lionel Messi told his Argentina teammates that the 2026 World Cup final, a gut-wrenching 1-0 extra-time loss to Spain, would be his last game in the sky blue and white. He’s 39, he has nothing left to prove, and the curtain is coming down on one of the most decorated international careers in football history.
The final whistle
Argentina went into the final as defending champions, riding the high of their 2022 triumph in Qatar. Spain had other plans, grinding out a 1-0 win that required extra time to settle.
Messi’s performance was described as subdued. No formal retirement announcement has been issued yet. What we know is that Messi communicated his intentions directly to teammates around July 19-20, 2026.
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