After the World Cup, Negative Numbers Haunt Messi

Lionel Messi walks wrapped in sorrow after losing the 2026 World Cup (AFP)

The Spanish national football team was crowned champion of the 2026 World Cup after defeating its Argentine counterpart in the final, adding a second star to its history, while the title holder settled for second place after a limited performance dominated by a defensive character.

The Argentine national team did not deliver the expected level during the match, as the Spanish team controlled the flow of play, and the teammates of captain Lionel Messi ended the tournament with several negative statistics.

The Argentine national team became the first team in World Cup final history to fail to make a single shot on goal throughout the 90 minutes of the final match.

Argentina finished as runner-up for the fourth time in its history, becoming the second most frequent runner-up in World Cup history after Germany.

Messi recorded only one touch in the first 15 minutes of the final, indicating his limited offensive presence against Spain's defensive organization.

The Argentine captain received a rating of seven, his lowest in a World Cup match since the match against Croatia in the 2018 edition, which Argentina lost 3-0 in the group stage.

Messi also failed to regain the top spot on the all-time World Cup scorers list, ending his campaign with 21 goals, behind Frenchman Kylian Mbappé who topped the list with 22 goals.

Messi, aged 39, became the oldest outfield player to participate in and lose a World Cup final, according to match statistics.

Spain finished the tournament crowned with the title for the second time in its history, while Argentina failed to retain the cup after winning the previous edition.