A shocking statistic revealed the extent of Spain's absolute dominance in the 2026 World Cup final held yesterday Sunday; as Lionel Messi, captain of the Argentine national team, did not touch the ball even once inside Spain's penalty area throughout the match that ended with 'the Matador' winning 1-0 after extra time, in definitive proof of the purely defensive performance that Argentina was forced to adopt against the suffocating Spanish pressure.

According to the sports statistics company 'Opta', this is only the second time this has happened to Messi in 31 matches he has played in World Cup finals throughout his career; the first time was in the 2014 World Cup semi-final against the Netherlands, where neither team could break through the other's defense, before Argentina qualified on penalties (0-0, 4-2 on penalties).

0 - Lionel Messi did not touch any ball in the opponent's area for the second time only in 31 World Cup starts after the 2014 edition semi-final against the Netherlands (0-0, Argentina qualified on penalties).

Twilight? pic.twitter.com/pW0GB8dZGU

— OptaJean (@OptaJean) July 20, 2026

This statistic is additional evidence of Spain's absolute dominance in the World Cup final, as the Argentine players were in a purely defensive position throughout the match, and were unable to create any real threat on the goal of 'La Roja', while the Spanish national team controlled the course of the game and imposed its rhythm on 'La Albiceleste'.

Messi, 39 years old, failed to leave any offensive mark on the match, as he was unable to reach Spain's penalty area even once, a rare sight for the Argentine star who is accustomed to making a difference in big matches throughout his illustrious career.