Will Lionel Messi retire? Argentina’s coach has broken his silence following their 2026 FIFA World Cup final defeat

NEW DELHI: Will Lionel Messi retire? Was the 2026 FIFA World Cup final his last appearance on football’s biggest stage? These questions dominated the discussion when Argentina took on Spain in the final at the New York New Jersey Stadium. Argentina’s title defense ended in a 1-0 extra-time defeat, but head coach Lionel Scaloni made it clear that Messi’s future will be entirely up to him. After the final, Scaloni praised the 39-year-old captain and said Messi will continue to play as long as he wants.“Well, now he is 39 years old. Unbelievable. There is nothing new to discover from my side. It was crystal clear to me that he will play until he decides to and that all the team players, teammates and all his people will support him. And I’m sure I hope everyone will be proud of him, what he said as the best footballer he has ever achieved,” Theonical said. Athletic.Scaloni’s comments came after Argentina fell short in their bid to defend the World Cup title they won in Qatar in 2022.

Spain ended Argentina’s rule

Spain beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time to lift their second FIFA World Cup title and first since 2010.Substitute Ferran Torres scored the only goal of the game in the 106th minute, beating Emiliano Martinez with a powerful finish after tackles by Lamine Yamal, Pedro Porro and Nico Williams.The victory capped a remarkable campaign for Spain, who remained unbeaten throughout the tournament and conceded just one goal in eight matches.

Torres and Yamal shine for Spain

Torres also made history by becoming only the fifth substitute to score in a FIFA World Cup final and the first since Germany’s Mario Götze scored the winner against Argentina in the 2014 final.He also became only the second Barcelona player to score in a World Cup final after Andres Iniesta’s extension for Spain in 2010.Nineteen-year-old Lamine Yamal lifted the World Cup in the biggest moment of his young career, just two years after helping Spain win UEFA Euro 2024.

A complete team effort by Spain

Spain’s title campaign was built on strong performances across the team.Rodri controlled the midfield throughout the tournament, Mikel Oyarzabal finished with five goals to finish among the top scorers, while goalkeeper Unai Simon won the Golden Glove after a string of impressive displays.Spain opened their campaign with a goalless draw against Cape Verde before beating Saudi Arabia 4-0 and Uruguay 1-0 to top Group H.They then beat Austria 3-0 in the round of 16, Portugal 1-0 in the round of 16, Belgium 2-1 in the quarter-finals and France 2-0 in the semi-finals.In the final, Spain dominated possession, created far more chances than Argentina and beat the defending champions to seal another World Cup crown.