Like so many sporting greats, Lionel Messi did not get the fairytale ending that his illustrious career deserved in New Jersey on Sunday night.
Throughout history it has proven a rarity for legendary athletes to exit the big stage on a high. Muhammad Ali lost three of his final four fights before hanging up his gloves. Michael Jordan bowed out from the NBA after failing to make the playoffs for a second straight year with the Washington Wizards. Tom Brady waved goodbye to football after a postseason loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
Babe Ruth, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal… the list runs long. And now Messi’s name has been added to it. Well, at least when it comes to the World Cup.
The sad sight of Argentina’s icon shedding tears after their final defeat to Spain says it all. At 39, it is almost certain this was his closing chapter on soccer’s grandest stage. He will be 43 when the next one rolls around.
Yet Messi didn’t just sign off from the World Cup on the back of a loss. It was as miserable and shameful of a night as it could be for his country at MetLife Stadium.
After becoming the first finalists in history to fail to register a single shot in 90 minutes – and not testing Spain’s goalkeeper Unai Simon once in 120 – Argentina’s sore losers resorted to thuggery when Spain celebrated their triumph at full-time.
Lionel Messi did not get his fairytale ending as Argentina lost to Spain in the World Cup final
The Argentina icon exited the biggest stage in soccer on the most depressing of notes
Midfielder Leandro Paredes was the biggest villain, grabbing Spain’s Eric Garcia by the neck and punching midfielder Gavi in the face before pushing him over. Defender Nahuel Molina also punched Rodri in the torso, while even a 53-year-old Argentine assistant coach landed a punch on Spain’s Dani Olmo.
While he was not involved in the violence, Messi is captain of this team and what will likely prove his World Cup finale will always be remembered for the ugly scenes at full time.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner didn’t cover himself in glory, either. In the wake of a red card for Argentina’s Enzo Fernandez, Messi embarrassed himself with an attempt to send Marc Cucurella down the tunnel.
After Cucurella spoke to him while briefly covering his mouth, Messi stuck his arm in the air and signaled to the referee to try and get the Spain man sent off. FIFA’s new rules forbid players from concealing conversations.
Fortunately, the official did not bow to the pressure of one of the game’s finest ever players. But the sight of an all-time great, renowned for modesty on and off the field, resorting to dirty tactics was grim.
‘One of the most pathetic things I’ve ever seen from a supposed sportsman,’ Piers Morgan fumed on X about the incident. ‘Messi’s fake halo shattered in this World Cup; he was the sneaky cheating leader of a vile bunch of violent thugs.’
Once they’d grown tired of lashing out, the now-former world champions made it a masterclass in bitterness by refusing to form a guard of honor for Spain and turning their backs as their competitors lifted the World Cup.
They then sparked ugly scenes at full time by lashing out at Spain as they celebrated the win
Leandro Paredes grabbed Eric Garcia by the neck and punching Gavi before pushing him over
Messi also embarrassed himself with his desperate attempt to get Marc Cucurella sent off
Cucurella briefly touched his mouth while talking to Messi – players are sent off for covering their face while talking to opponents
The closing shot of Messi at a World Cup will forever be crying with his back to the trophy lift, surrounded by his henchmen, in a moment more befitting of 10-year-old children than elite athletes.
If that wasn’t bad enough, Argentina skipped mandatory post-game media interviews and fled the stadium.
Messi is known for humility while cementing his status as arguably the greatest of all time, with the petulant antics of famous rival Cristiano Ronaldo – often accused of hogging the limelight and not being a good teammate – painting him in a better light.
Nevertheless, soccer’s golden boy bid farewell to the World Cup with most wanting him to lose. He did exactly that, without managing a shot on target before Argentina disgraced themselves.
Other than fan footage of her leaving the stadium under the protection of burly security guards, there were also mysteriously few sightings of Messi’s stunning wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, at Sunday’s final.
It was a far cry from her usually-frequent appearances at the front of the stadium’s VIP suites, cheering her man on alongside their children. How poignant, then, for her to be in hiding as Messi struggled and wept on a devastating day.
There were few sightings of Messi’s wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, at the final other than her leaving
It took Antonela a day before she paid tribute to her husband on social media after the loss
She broke her silence a day later, writing on Instagram: ‘You will always be the best. Thank you for showing us every day that true success is built through hard work, sacrifice, and perseverance – without ever losing sight of who you really are.
‘You are the best example for our children and an inspiration to millions of people. I admire you more than words can express, and I feel immensely proud to walk through life by your side.’
All in all, it was an anticlimactic end for the Messi family at his sport’s most prestigious competition.
Even his all-time World Cup goals record no longer remains. Less than a month after leapfrogging Germany icon Miroslav Klose in Argentina’s second group-stage outing against Austria, France superstar Kylian Mbappe’s brace in the third-place playoff took him one ahead of Messi on 21.
So what next? Messi has half the season to finish with Inter Miami, who return to action Wednesday after MLS’s World Cup break.
But Messi won’t play in their first game back against Chicago Fire, nor their trip to CF Montreal on Saturday.
According to ESPN, he’ll also skip the MLS All-Star Game on July 29, too. It would be the third time Messi has been selected for the annual showpiece. He is yet to play in a single one.
A more likely return is Miami’s clash with Columbus Crew on Saturday August 1.
Once back up and running at club level, Messi has over two years remaining on his current deal with the team, which extends beyond the 2028 Copa America.
Messi may stick around at club level for a while but he will surely retire from Argentina duty
When he’s still operating at such a high level – he still scored eight World Cup goals this year – it would be a shock to see him end that contract early.
As for his international career, it remains to be seen whether Messi calls it a day after two consecutive World Cup final appearances. It would make most sense.
Prior to the final he hinted as such by referring to it as ‘The Last Tango’ in a post on social media. Following the defeat, he also shared an emotional message on Instagram which felt like a farewell.
‘The pain is immense, and this wound will take time to heal,’ he wrote. ‘But I also hold onto all the good things.
‘Thank you from the bottom of my heart for every greeting and message. Once again, we managed to unite as a country and stand together, sharing the immense pride of being Argentine.’
Presumably through gritted teeth, he added: ‘I also want to congratulate Spain on winning the championship.’
If only he and Argentina could have done a better job of that on the field.
