Matador Corps Delivers Fatal Blow in Extra Time to End Pampas Eagles, Messi's World Cup Swan Song Ends in Disappointment
In the ultimate clash on Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 thanks to a goal from Barcelona winger Ferran Torres early in the second half of extra time, lifting their second World Cup trophy. The decisive goal came from a right-wing cross by Pedro Porro, with Nico Williams heading it on at the near post and Torres sweeping the ball into the net with the inside of his foot. Throughout the match, Spain dominated possession, forcing Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez to make several key saves, especially when he denied a dangerous effort from Williams at the start of extra time.
The match unfolded as expected: Spain controlled the ball, while Argentina waited for opportunities to feed it to Messi. The tactics built around the nearly 39-year-old veteran had benefited Argentina multiple times in this tournament, enabling them to stage comebacks against Egypt and England. But Spain, younger and more technically gifted, eventually left Argentina without a single shot on target until the 115th minute, setting an embarrassing record for the latest first shot in World Cup history.
The contest was fiercely contested, with the referee tending to let play flow and blowing cautiously. However, Enzo Fernández fouled Pau Cubarsí in stoppage time, and the referee did not hesitate to show him a second yellow card, sending him off. Messi had previously stated this would be his last World Cup, and he finished the tournament with eight goals and four assists. This marks Argentina's third final in the last four World Cups—losing to Germany in 2014, beating France in 2022, and falling short this year.
As reigning European champions, Spain conceded just one goal in eight matches in this tournament—that came in the quarterfinal against Belgium. The coach's lineup decisions surprised many: Pedri was again left on the bench, but the choice ultimately proved correct. Despite the match being largely dull and grueling, arguably one of the most painful World Cup finals in memory, Spain remained calm, defeating their opponents through pure grit and belief in their own exceptional quality. It was a victory of control over chaos: Spain dictated possession in every match, and Argentina could not get close to the European champions through fair means, so they tried to wear them down with dubious tactics, but Spain stayed composed, with Torres scoring the winner late in extra time.
Spain finished the match with 20 shots to Argentina's two, including 12 on target, while the defending champions registered none on target. Spain may lack the explosive talent of France or the comeback ability of Argentina, but they know how to control the ball and the tempo. When a team can do that as Spain can, they win a lot of matches, which explains Spain's current 38-match unbeaten run.
If you go 117 minutes without a single shot, you are either not engaging in sport or have a major problem. That was Argentina's predicament on Sunday afternoon. By the end of regulation time, they had not attempted a single shot—whether on target or off—against Spain's goal, which is objectively difficult to achieve. In fact, since records began, only Costa Rica (twice) have managed such a feat; no other team has. The lack of shots continued into stoppage time, and Fernández's red card left Argentina with 10 men.
How to explain this attacking impotence? Much credit goes to Spain—they conceded just one goal in eight matches this tournament, and their excellent possession and high pressing denied Argentina both the ball and time. But much of the blame lies with head coach Lionel Scaloni's tactical approach for this World Cup. He built the team around Messi, knowing the 39-year-old can no longer contribute as he once did without the ball. To compensate, he constructed a compact squad, forcing opponents to the flanks, and relied on players he trusted, and more importantly, players Messi trusted: Alexis Mac Allister, Rodrigo De Paul, and Leandro Paredes—tough tacklers but not known for dynamism. Messi's presence also meant using only one striker, alternating between Julián Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez each match, a thankless task as the sole outlet. This also left no room for one of the most talented players, Nico Paz. The system worked for a while—with some luck and plenty of Messi—until it didn't. In hindsight, one might question: Scaloni would argue it was the only way to accommodate Messi, and Messi's eight goals and four assists vindicate the decision. But the lack of a plan B became evident on Sunday, with Argentina reduced to frustration and roughness while some of their most gifted players sat on the bench.
Goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez was Argentina's sole bright spot in the final, making 11 saves over 120 minutes, tying for the second-most saves in a single knockout-stage match in the last 60 years of World Cup history. Martínez also played with a fracture of his right ring finger—an injury sustained during a warm-up for Aston Villa's Europa Conference League final preparation. He trained separately from his Argentina teammates early in the tournament and only later rejoined them. He admitted his hand hurt terribly every day, but he was determined to play through the pain. Despite the final scoreline, without Martínez, the result could have been very different.
The fairy tale ends here; reality shatters that fantasy: a 39-year-old Messi could no longer carry a nation. He did it for an outstanding tournament, but Spain was too strong, and the final numbers are brutal: one shot (blocked), zero touches in the opponent's box, two dispossessions, and four fouls suffered. All this over 120 minutes plus stoppage time. As you watched the clock tick down, Messi continued walking a tightrope between conserving energy and finding positions where teammates could pass to him, you always believed he could turn the game at some point—he had done so several times in this tournament. But after Fernández's red card, the task became even harder, with Messi essentially playing as a lone striker in a 4-4-1 formation, circumstances under which one cannot expect much.
Think about it: it was after the 2016 Copa América final defeat, at the same stadium, that Messi announced his retirement from the national team, disillusioned with the Argentine Football Association and its failures in major tournaments. His retirement lasted only a few months, and upon his return, Argentina won a World Cup, two Copas América, and the 2022 Finalissima. All this occurred after his 34th birthday. There is no doubt that despite his quiet departure, Messi's achievements in over 1,100 matches for club and country will echo forever.
FIFA was reluctant to confirm details of the halftime show—primarily how long players would remain off the field while the performance took place. It turned out to be worse and longer than most had imagined. From the referee's whistle for halftime to the start of the second half, the halftime entertainment break lasted 27 minutes and 20 seconds. FIFA regulations state that halftime should not exceed 15 minutes, but these rules were relaxed here. Earlier predictions of an 11-minute show and roughly a 17-minute break proved wildly inaccurate. Viewers worldwide can debate whether the show had value, but from a sporting perspective, in an already low-energy match, the extended halftime break was a dampener, with players off the field too long and the match losing rhythm and intensity. The cooling breaks added in each half did not help either. Hopefully, this will be the first and last World Cup halftime show, but based on the moves of the relevant authorities, such gimmicks may get worse.