Lionel Messi, captain of the Argentina national team, entered the 2026 World Cup final carrying an invaluable opportunity on his shoulders.

Messi was not just playing to win the World Cup title; he also aimed to continue breaking records after an exceptional campaign in the 2026 World Cup.

The Argentine star entered the World Cup final against Spain hoping to increase his goal tally to catch up with Kylian Mbappé in the all-time World Cup top scorer list and compete for the Golden Boot in the current edition.

Messi also aspired to win the World Cup to boost his chances in the 2026 Ballon d'Or race.

Leo also dreamed of becoming the first Argentine captain to lead his country to back-to-back World Cup titles and add a fourth star to the Albiceleste jersey.

But Messi lost everything in 120 minutes against the Spanish Matador, who dominated the proceedings until Ferran Torres scored in the 106th minute.

Messi failed to find the back of the net against Spain, freezing his tally at 8 goals and finishing as runner-up in the 2026 World Cup scoring charts, two goals behind leader Mbappé.

Messi also finished as runner-up in the all-time World Cup scorers list with 21 goals, just one goal behind Mbappé.

Mbappé had seized the all-time World Cup top scorer crown after scoring a brace against England in a 4-6 loss, raising the Frenchman's tally to 22 goals.

Messi's chances in the Ballon d'Or race also diminished after losing the World Cup, while the prospects of Spanish star Lamine Yamal to win the Ballon d'Or increased, with expected competition from Frenchman Ousmane Dembélé, who led Paris Saint-Germain to retain the Champions League title.