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In potentially his final World Cup match, Lionel Messi could not deliver magic for Argentina. But neither did rising Spanish superstar Lamine Yamal.
Instead, it was striker Ferran Torres who came off the bench to launch Spain past Argentina, 1-0, in extra time in the World Cup Final at MetLife Stadium on July 19.
Messi, 39, had a goal or an assist in eight World Cup matches this summer, until the final. He has scored 21 goals and added 12 assists in 33 career World Cup matches, dating back to 2006 in Germany.
"He is pure history. He is history, legend," Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said through a translator on July 17 at Fanatics Fest in New York City.
"Reaching a final at 39 years of age, I think it is something unbelievable. That is why I said we must enjoy it. It happened with (Argentine midfielder) Diego Maradona. We miss him. Messi is still with us."
The third of four kids, Messi was raised in a working-class neighborhood of Rosario, Argentina. Always small for his age, he joined Abanderado Grandoli at age 4, coached by his father, Jorge Messi. His maternal grandmother, Celia, brought him to practice and matches.
She died when Messi was 10. When he points to the sky after scoring a goal, it's partly in her memory.
Messi was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency at age 10, a discovery which birthed his international career. Unable to get his current club, Newell's Old Boys, to contribute to his treatment, Messi tried to transfer. The family had relatives in Catalonia, and arranged a tryout with Barcelona. Shortly afterward, as a 13-year-old, Messi emigrated to Spain with his family to join the youth academy.
"We grew up playing soccer with passion," Messi said in Spanish in response to a question from retired NFL quarterback Tom Brady on July 17 at Fanatics Fest. "We played everywhere. We played on the street. We played at school. We played on teams. We didn't think about pressure. It was just natural play."
More: Messi, Spain divide fan interest at 2026 World Cup final
Messi made his first-team debut with Barcelona in November 2003. He scored his first senior goal at age 17, the youngest at the time.
He stayed with Barcelona for 17 seasons, totaling 627 goals and 250 assists across all competitions and helping the club win 10 La Liga titles and four Champions League crowns. He is the all-time leading scorer in La Liga (474 goals). Messi left the Spanish club in 2021 to join French powerhouse Paris Saint-Germain.
Since July 2023, Messi has played for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, which is co-owned by English legend David Beckham. He's also a father of three boys with his wife, Antonela Raccuzzo.
"It goes beyond words what Messi means as a player, what he means for Argentina," Spain captain and fellow Ballon D'Or winner Rodri said through an interpreter. "Obviously, for me, he's the greatest of all time."
Argentina's most-capped player and all-time goal-scoring leader, Messi has more than 900 goals and 400 assists for club and country, the most in history. He has won the Ballon D'Or as the top player in the world eight times, and been named the best player by FIFA four times.
Asked whether Messi would retire from international play after the World Cup, Scaloni chuckled, "What do I know? Ask him. I don't have the foggiest idea, to be honest. He doesn't stop surprising us."
But don't expect Messi – already the two-time MLS MVP – or Argentine midfielder Rodrigo DePaul back in the lineup when Inter Miami returns to regular-season play hosting Chicago on July 22. They'll likely get at least a little break before resuming the MLS season.
"I love the fact that Messi is our guy," MLS Commissioner Don Garber said Thursday. "He chose to be here. He passed on any other place he could go. ... That has delivered for MLS in ways we never imagined. None of us understood what Messi was when he was playing for Barcelona, when he was playing in Paris.
"The fact that he would have a right-footed cross at the last minute of the semifinal of the World Cup, and be able to win a game in front of the world and be in the final, and then take off his Argentina jersey and put on an MLS jersey, I never dreamed that would happen. And he's happy. Happy players are good. It's been amazing."
This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: What is next for Lionel Messi after Argentina's World Cup loss?
Continue reading...
Instead, it was striker Ferran Torres who came off the bench to launch Spain past Argentina, 1-0, in extra time in the World Cup Final at MetLife Stadium on July 19.
Messi, 39, had a goal or an assist in eight World Cup matches this summer, until the final. He has scored 21 goals and added 12 assists in 33 career World Cup matches, dating back to 2006 in Germany.
"He is pure history. He is history, legend," Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said through a translator on July 17 at Fanatics Fest in New York City.
"Reaching a final at 39 years of age, I think it is something unbelievable. That is why I said we must enjoy it. It happened with (Argentine midfielder) Diego Maradona. We miss him. Messi is still with us."
Making Messi magic
The third of four kids, Messi was raised in a working-class neighborhood of Rosario, Argentina. Always small for his age, he joined Abanderado Grandoli at age 4, coached by his father, Jorge Messi. His maternal grandmother, Celia, brought him to practice and matches.
She died when Messi was 10. When he points to the sky after scoring a goal, it's partly in her memory.
Messi was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency at age 10, a discovery which birthed his international career. Unable to get his current club, Newell's Old Boys, to contribute to his treatment, Messi tried to transfer. The family had relatives in Catalonia, and arranged a tryout with Barcelona. Shortly afterward, as a 13-year-old, Messi emigrated to Spain with his family to join the youth academy.
"We grew up playing soccer with passion," Messi said in Spanish in response to a question from retired NFL quarterback Tom Brady on July 17 at Fanatics Fest. "We played everywhere. We played on the street. We played at school. We played on teams. We didn't think about pressure. It was just natural play."
More: Messi, Spain divide fan interest at 2026 World Cup final
Messi made his first-team debut with Barcelona in November 2003. He scored his first senior goal at age 17, the youngest at the time.
He stayed with Barcelona for 17 seasons, totaling 627 goals and 250 assists across all competitions and helping the club win 10 La Liga titles and four Champions League crowns. He is the all-time leading scorer in La Liga (474 goals). Messi left the Spanish club in 2021 to join French powerhouse Paris Saint-Germain.
Since July 2023, Messi has played for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, which is co-owned by English legend David Beckham. He's also a father of three boys with his wife, Antonela Raccuzzo.
"It goes beyond words what Messi means as a player, what he means for Argentina," Spain captain and fellow Ballon D'Or winner Rodri said through an interpreter. "Obviously, for me, he's the greatest of all time."
Lionel Messi in Major League Soccer
Argentina's most-capped player and all-time goal-scoring leader, Messi has more than 900 goals and 400 assists for club and country, the most in history. He has won the Ballon D'Or as the top player in the world eight times, and been named the best player by FIFA four times.
Asked whether Messi would retire from international play after the World Cup, Scaloni chuckled, "What do I know? Ask him. I don't have the foggiest idea, to be honest. He doesn't stop surprising us."
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But don't expect Messi – already the two-time MLS MVP – or Argentine midfielder Rodrigo DePaul back in the lineup when Inter Miami returns to regular-season play hosting Chicago on July 22. They'll likely get at least a little break before resuming the MLS season.
"I love the fact that Messi is our guy," MLS Commissioner Don Garber said Thursday. "He chose to be here. He passed on any other place he could go. ... That has delivered for MLS in ways we never imagined. None of us understood what Messi was when he was playing for Barcelona, when he was playing in Paris.
"The fact that he would have a right-footed cross at the last minute of the semifinal of the World Cup, and be able to win a game in front of the world and be in the final, and then take off his Argentina jersey and put on an MLS jersey, I never dreamed that would happen. And he's happy. Happy players are good. It's been amazing."
This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: What is next for Lionel Messi after Argentina's World Cup loss?
Continue reading...
