Until Sunday, Lionel Messi was a brilliant star, but in the 2026 World Cup final against Spain, he was a pale shadow, utterly absent and ineffective on the cursed turf of MetLife Stadium, where he had briefly said goodbye to the national team a decade ago.

When Ferrán Torres found the net and celebrated wildly (106', 1-0 after extra time), the little genius stood alone near the halfway line, head bowed, his dream shattered, at the end of a match in which he left no memorable mark.

Messi received his silver medal and then stood crying silently in front of the stand holding the 'Albiceleste' fans, who chanted his name warmly even after the final whistle.

It is a very sad ending for the Argentina captain, with his extraordinary career and elegant style on the ball, who this time failed to ignite a comeback, despite a more prominent presence during extra time.

The conductor of the 'Albiceleste' orchestra delivered a brilliant performance throughout the World Cup, his sixth in his personal career, scoring eight goals and providing four assists despite being 39 years old.

But he ended the tournament on a sour note, as his boxes of magic were completely buried under the weight of the mighty Spanish machine.

Argentina did not manage their first shot until the 120th minute, while Messi touched the ball only 54 times, with 15 in the first half, a very low number for the primary playmaker.

True, the red card to Enzo Fernández just before extra time did not help him, but nothing before that suggested the possibility of a final flash of his genius.

15 minutes of nothing

As usual, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner left the pressing duties to the attacking duo of Julián Álvarez, so he could focus on what he does best: scanning the pitch for the slightest available space, then slipping into it and launching with his dribbles or magical touches.

But the Spanish national team is known for its exceptional ability to close spaces on the pitch and deprive opponents of good passes, as the French team experienced bitterly in the semi-final (2-0).

In the first quarter of an hour, Messi touched the ball only once, at the kickoff. He went to the dressing room at halftime having touched the ball just 15 times, with no touches inside the penalty area.

This limited, almost non-existent impact is not new in the North American World Cup, as he has been accustomed in knockout matches to start quietly and then strike strongly in the later stages.

Former England international Alan Shearer said on BBC One, with 15 minutes left in regular time: 'We haven't seen anything from Messi yet, but we all know, and Spain knows it too, that if he gets that chance, he might take it.'

MetLife... the last stop?

His description could not have been more accurate, but the subsequent events did not confirm his prediction. It was a bad day for Messi and his teammates.

The former Barcelona genius dribbler may end his stunning international career (125 goals in 207 international matches) at MetLife Stadium in the outskirts of New York, as he indeed did in 2016 before reversing his decision shortly after.

He announced that on June 26, 2016, at just 29, after a new disappointment with the national team following a defeat to Chile in the Copa América final on penalties, after missing one of the kicks.

He said then: 'It's over for me with the national team. This is the fourth final I lose, the third in a row,' referring to his loss in the 2014 World Cup final to Germany (1-0 after extra time), then the 2015 and 2016 Copa América finals.

Then the entire country begged him to return, from former president Mauricio Macri to the late legend Diego Armando Maradona, including Enzo Fernández, who was a teenager and wrote him a letter asking him to reverse his decision. Messi responded to that 47 days after his surprise announcement.

Since then, the current Inter Miami player has won two Copa América titles (2021 and 2024), the 'Finalissima' against the European champion (Italy in 2022), and the World Cup (2022). But not a second one.