Lionel Messi is set to walk out at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday carrying the weight of a memory that has haunted him for a decade, as Argentina face Spain in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final.
The night that broke him
The stadium was the scene of one of the most painful nights of Messi's career. In the 2016 Copa America Centenario final against Chile, Argentina lost on penalties, and Messi missed his own spot kick. He was seen in tears on the substitutes' bench, and in the aftermath of that defeat, he stunned the football world by announcing his retirement from the national team. "It's over for me with the national team; I've tried so hard," he said at the time. The comment triggered a nationwide campaign across Argentina, with fans and even fellow players pleading with the then 29-year-old to change his mind.
A teenager's plea that has resurfaced
Among those who publicly appealed to Messi in 2016 was a 15-year-old fan named Enzo Fernandez, who took to social media to ask him to reconsider. Fernandez wrote that Messi should "stay to have fun, which is what these people have taken from you," urging him not to let one bitter night define his international career. That message has resurfaced in the days leading up to Sunday's final. A decade on, Fernandez is no longer writing to his idol from the stands, he is one of Argentina's most important midfielders, lining up alongside Messi as Lionel Scaloni's side chases back-to-back World Cup titles.
Spain's record-breaking defence
Standing between Argentina and the trophy is a Spain side built on defensive solidity. Under coach Luis de la Fuente, Spain have conceded only one goal in the entire tournament, and they have become the first team ever to keep six clean sheets in a single men's World Cup. After starting the campaign with a goalless draw against Cape Verde, Spain won six matches in a row, knocking out Austria, Portugal, Belgium and France en route to the final. The European champions arrive on the back of a 37-match unbeaten run and are chasing only their second World Cup title, having last won the tournament in 2010.
Argentina's fight through the knockouts
Argentina, the defending champions, have had to dig deep repeatedly through the knockout rounds. Their semifinal against England summed up that resilience, as they trailed before Enzo Fernandez equalised and Lautaro Martinez scored a stoppage-time winner to complete a 2-1 comeback. That result extended Scaloni's team to 14 consecutive victories, matching the longest winning streak ever recorded by a South American nation. A win on Sunday would make Argentina only the second team after Brazil in 1962 to successfully defend a FIFA World Cup title.
An evenly matched rivalry
The two sides go into the final with a near identical head-to-head record, having won six matches each with two draws between them. Their only previous meeting at a World Cup came back in 1966, when Argentina won 2-1. Their most recent clash was an international friendly in 2018, which Spain won 6-1.
As kickoff approaches, most of the attention will remain fixed on Messi. Nearly ten years after he left this same stadium in tears, questioning whether he would ever play for Argentina again, he now has one final opportunity to turn the site of his greatest heartbreak into the setting for the biggest triumph of his career.
