Lionel Messi could not hold back his emotions during the medal ceremony following Argentina’s loss to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final. Cameras captured the captain in tears as he collected his silver medal, a moment that quickly circulated as one of the defining images of the tournament’s closing night.
The scene carried extra weight given the context surrounding Messi’s participation in this edition. At 43 years old by the time the next World Cup arrives in 2030, this tournament was widely viewed as his last realistic chance to add another title to his career.
Despite the tears, Messi was applauded by Argentina’s fans in what was his last World Cup match, where he leaves an indelible mark on the tournament’s history.
This is how Messi bows out of the sport’s biggest stage having won at least one title, and having come close to his first Golden Boot, which ultimately went to Kylian Mbappe with 10 goals, edging out the Argentine’s eight.
The records Messi broke at the 2026 World Cup
This tournament added another layer to Messi’s already unmatched World Cup legacy. He further extended his all-time records for assists, goal contributions, dribbles, chances created and goal contributions in the knockout stages, while also adding to his collection of Player of the Match awards, all records he already held heading into the tournament.
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Messi also became the first player to score against 17 different opponents across his World Cup career, a milestone he reached during the semifinal win over England.
The only mark that slipped away came in the tournament’s closing days, when Kylian Mbappe surpassed him as the competition’s all-time leading scorer with a brace in the third-place match, ending Messi’s run atop that particular chart at 21 career goals.
