2026 FIFA World Cup Countdown: Lionel Messi Finally Completes Football

4 Days to Go: Messi Cements Legacy as Argentina Lift the World Cup

It is a rarity for the nation any given viewer backs to actually win the World Cup. Think about it – your nation, for example Spain, may have the best team in the world and may also be reigning European champions, but with so many historically successful sides of equal pedigree also competing, they are still more likely to slip up at an unexpected hurdle than not.

Even England, despite our quadrennially naive conviction that football will in fact be coming home, has only won the tournament once, and having taken place during the summer of 1966, there is a distinct lack of the population who remember Geoff Hurst’s iconic hat trick against the West Germans at Wembley.

It is hard to win a World Cup, but that’s why it is special. That is also why it is exceptionally rare for fans to actively support anyone but their home country at the tournament. Everyone wants to see an underdog nation go deep or their favourite player to go all the way, but their involvement settles on distant interest, not to be compared with the love of their own national team.

Lionel Messi’s 2022 Argentina side was an incredibly rare exception to the rule. Regarded by the masses as the greatest player to lace up a pair of boots, the wizard of Rosario required just one more trophy to complete his silverware cabinet and officially end the debate surrounded by the best of all time – the World Cup.

There’s no way you can convince me otherwise —Lionel Messi remains the greatest player to ever play football. ❤️🐐⚽🔥 pic.twitter.com/lu6wTW3gP1

— 𝙼𝙸𝙻𝙰𝙽𝙾 7G (@bigmilano_01) June 7, 2026

Many feared that 2022 could be his last tournament – at the age of 35, he wasn’t getting any younger – and the fear that the best in the history of the sport would never lift the Jules Rimet trophy quickly built to fever pitch. The result? The Argentinian national team received global backing like never before, fans aching to see the greatest to ever do it lift the biggest prize in football aloft.

Missed Opportunities

Prior to Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s battle for supremacy in pursuit of the title 'best ever', Diego Maradona and Pelé were the untouchable stars of yesteryear, urgently whispered names behind closed doors that, when brought up in conversation with the two modern trailblazers, held something over them that nobody could argue with – they both had World Cup trophies to their name.

Yes, in Pele’s case, trophies – the Brazilian lifted a whopping three Jules Rimet’s in his long and storied Brazil career, while Maradona almost single-handedly (get it?) hauled his home nation to the 1986 edition in Mexico.

While Ronaldo had helped Portugal to an unlikely Euro 2016, and a Messi-inspired Argentina had won the Copa America a year before the Qatar World Cup kicked off, neither achievement compared to what their forebears achieved. Conquering world football and standing atop the winner's podium with the World Cup trophy in hand was an achievement that couldn’t be beaten and unless one of Messi or Ronaldo went all the way at the tournament, there would always be those who argued that neither would ever be comparable to Pelé or Maradona.

🚨🚨| Most goals scored in a calendar year in football history:

1. Leo Messi - 91
2. Gerd Müller - 85
3. Pele - 75
4. Zico - 72
5. Romário - 71
6. Cristiano Ronaldo - 69
7. Lewandowski - 69
8. Cristiano - 63
9. Cristiano - 61
𝟏𝟎. 𝐊𝐲𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐌𝐛𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞 - 𝟔𝟎 (𝐬𝐨 𝐟𝐚𝐫) pic.twitter.com/rqSuk8r2dU

— CentreGoals. (@centregoals) December 1, 2025

Messi took that personally – the best ever in terms of raw goal and assist output, he had little left to prove in terms of the trickery, sheer audacity, and outrageous consistency with which he exhibited both traits.

He had also come to within touching distance of barging his way into that conversation back in 2014, when he led Argentina to the final only to lose to Germany just seven minutes short of a penalty shootout.

It seemed that even the legendary Argentinian believed that the controversial tournament in Qatar was destined to be his final World Cup, and that made him dangerous; the only thing worse than the prime Lionel Messi is Lionel Messi with a point to prove.

With this potentially his do-or-die World Cup swansong, the greatest of all time became a one-man wrecking crew, his performances speaking of someone who was willing to put everything on the line to capture the one accolade that had always avoided him.

And game by game, as Argentina snaked their way through the knockout bracket, the global football fanbase became more and more tuned in. By the time the final arrived, much of the world had adopted Argentina as a second nation, the football fanbase desperate for the official coronation of their sport's greatest-ever talent.

The Best Ever

Things could not have got off to a worse start; despite scoring the opener from the spot against Saudi Arabia, Messi and Argentina somehow collapsed to a 2-1 defeat in what is considered one of the biggest shocks in tournament history.

🇦🇷 Argentina 1-2 Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦

2 years ago today...

pic.twitter.com/y2Nuk40h02

— CentreGoals. (@centregoals) November 22, 2024

Once again, Argentina were faced with familiar questions and all too familiar doubts – did they have the necessary ability to support the brilliance of Messi? Was Lionel Scaloni the man to coach? Would La Albiceleste fail to get past the round of 16 for the second tournament in succession?

60 minutes into their second group game against Mexico, with the scores tied at 0-0, concern only deepened – if Argentina conceded in the last half hour, their history of boasting a fragile South American mentality would render them unlikely to equalise, and another shock defeat would all but humiliatingly dump them out with just two games played.

Then Messi clicked into gear. Though influential against Saudi Arabia, he had never been able to truly use his magic touch against such a low block. Mexico, far more open in terms of set-up, provided a very different challenge, one that Messi has proved time and again that he loves playing against.

Picked out by Di Maria on 63 minutes, Messi drilled a 25-yard effort into the bottom left corner, an astonishing finish under such pressure, and Enzo Fernandez’s outstanding stoppage-time strike handed Argentina a lifeline with a 2-0 win, suspending their destiny until the final group game against Poland.

Messi’s goal 🆚 Mexico 🥶
The goal that saved Argentina’s World Cup campaign,the Peter Drury commentary makes it even better😮‍💨 https://t.co/Qq0w6RLdIH pic.twitter.com/05NfzaKBHY

— 𝕾𝖕𝖊𝖓𝖈𝖊𝖗🦅 (@assiamakd_) June 2, 2026

Here, Messi’s teammate finally came to the fore – it would be the only game at the tournament where he failed to notch a goal or assist. While the man himself missed a first-half penalty, cultured finishes from both Alexis Mac Allister and Julian Alvarez sealed another 2-0 win, and from being 30 minutes from elimination in the second game, Argentina had topped the group by the end of their third, earning them a last 16 meeting with Australia.

After his blip against Poland, Messi was back to his old self against the Socceroos, scoring a beautiful opener after a loose touch from teammate Nicolas Otamendi before laying chance after chance on a plate for his team mates, none of which were converted.

Instead, Julian Alvarez capitalised on a costly error from Aussie shot-stopper Matt Ryan to double their lead, and despite a late goal and some significant pressure from the men in yellow, a last-ditch Emi Martinez save in the dying seconds chalked up another win, and Argentina were into the last eight.

Next? A clash with age-old rivals the Netherlands. The two have had history ever since Argentina had beaten the Oranje in the 1978 final, and it was a head-to-head that had only seen grudges deepen after a poorly disciplined 1998 quarter-final clash, a game that has gone down in history for Dennis Bergkamp’s superb late winner and the accompanying chaotic Dutch commentary.

35 minutes in, Messi was at it again, setting up teammate Nahuel Molina with a pass that has since been voted ‘assist of the century’, and you can’t argue with it – nutmegging Nathan Aké, picking the narrowest of channels through which to pass, and weighting the ball perfectly for Molina, it was a work of art and thoroughly deserving of handing Argentina the lead.

In the second half, he went from creator to scoring, slotting in from the penalty spot after Acuna was clumsily brought down in the box, and to all the world, it seemed as if Argentina had booked a place in the last four. However, in a bad-blooded last 20 minutes, Wout Weghorst netted twice, including with the last kick of the game to take it to extra time, and Argentina was the far better side in the final half hour; no breakthrough was found. Penalties it was.

This match was absolute cinema pic.twitter.com/kgWSdQIFtU

— Lucky FC (@dzzdzc) June 6, 2026

Messi scored Argentina’s opener, but here, it was Martinez in goal that stole the show. Saving to his right from Virgil van Dijk and to his left from Steven Berghuis, the Aston Villa goalkeeper became an overnight hero, granting his nation breathing space and allowing Lautaro Martínez to fizz home the decisive penalty.

The game had taken a toll – there had been a total of 18 yellow cards and a red for Denzel Dumfries after the full-time whistle – but Argentina were now truly in the conversation and had a semi-final clash with Croatia as the only hurdle between them and the final.

It was infinitely more routine than their battle against the Dutch – Messi slammed the ball into the top corner, once again from the penalty spot, to hand them the lead before a remarkable and somewhat fortuitous Alvarez solo goal doubled the Argentinian lead before half-time.

Then came another moment of Messi magic – isolated on the right with one of world football’s most sought-after defenders at his back in Joško Gvardiol, it seemed he’d reach a dead end. But Messi being Messi, that is obviously not how things panned out. Instead, he span the £100 million-valued defender as if he were beating a blow-up dummy, glided down the byline, and pulled back for Alvarez to net his second goal and seal safe passage for the final.

The day the entire Croatia team couldn’t stop Messi and he singlehandedly reduced Gvardiol’s price for Manchester City https://t.co/bDREXYwMf3 pic.twitter.com/fTRX4PNc34

— R (@FCBRodney) June 8, 2026

It was a ridiculous assist, and there is a case to argue that it was better than his one against the Netherlands. More than that, though, it sent a message to France, who would meet them in the final – Messi was peaking at just the right time, and Les Bleus had better beware.

We all know what happened in the final. As against the Netherlands, Argentina had a 2-0 lead after first-half goals from Messi – from the spot, of course – and Di Maria and, with 10 minutes left on the clock, seemed to have one hand on the World Cup, Messi’s final quest almost at a victorious end.

Then, pure drama. An encroyable, two-minute, penalty/volley double salvo from Kylian Mbappé brought France level out of nowhere, and the biggest game in world football would need a further 30 minutes to decide the champions of the world.

Messi once again put his country on the brink with 12 minutes remaining, latching onto a rebound from close range after Lautaro Martinez was denied, but once again, Mbappe was not to be denied, netting his second penalty of the game to draw France level once again, the scores tied at 3-3.

Argentina so nearly lost it. Randal Kolo-Muani had the goal at his mercy, Emi Martinez the only man to beat, with less than 30 seconds left, but the big Argentina stopper spread himself wide and made a miraculous stop, preserving Argentina’s hope. Seconds later, Lautaro Martinez could have won the game down the other end in overtime, but the pressure told, and he skewed his header well wide. We were down to the agony of penalties, with the entire world, bar the nations of France and Portugal, on Messi’s side.

Mbappé went first and inevitably scored. Messi went next, also scored, also inevitable. Then it was the turn of Kingsley Coman, who, faced with the prospect of an adrenaline-fuelled Martinez, crumbled. He went left, so did Martinez, and Argentina had the upper hand. Dybala punished the miss by scoring next, before Aurelien Tchouameni placed France’s third penalty wide. Argentina were in the driving seat and were potentially two kicks away from being crowned champions of the world for the first time since 1986.

Paredes converted, and the distance halved to one kick, an outcome which wasn’t affected by Kolo Muani ending the French rot and finding the net. The responsibility of winning the World Cup fell onto a full-back of all things, as Gonzalo Montiel looked Hugo Lloris in the eyes and composed himself.

The full match of Argentina vs France in 2022 World Cup Final.

It’s been nearly 4 years Anniversary

pic.twitter.com/3Rhgrwh30R

— Mr Sam (@Mr_SamFCB) June 5, 2026

Slammed into the bottom left corner, the penalty was converted, and history had been written. In arguably the greatest World Cup final ever, and after a tournament where the great man had virtually carried his nation on his back, Messi had finally done the unthinkable – he held the World Cup in his hands as a victor and, in the process, put his name way out in front of the pack of the greatest players to ever take to the pitch.

He had been a man possessed all tournament, digging Argentina out of holes and performing miraculous acts of escapism and creativity, and his astonishing efforts had been rewarded in the most spectacular way possible.

The moment was certainly ruined somewhat by FIFA president Gianni Infantino and the Saudi tournament organisers insisting that he wear a Middle Eastern-style jacket over his Argentina top (none of his teammates got one, oddly), but this was purely an aesthetic, and aesthetics couldn’t take anything away from that glorious moment when the greatest of all time finally completed football.