Messi looks to close the chapter on history with a legendary World Cup title

Legend Lionel Messi, captain of the Argentine national team, is preparing to play in the 2026 World Cup final, leading his country against Spain on Sunday in a bid to achieve a historic milestone: guiding “La Albiceleste” to a fourth world title and a second consecutive crown, following their triumph at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Messi was the key to Argentina’s victories in all their matches during the current edition, from the group stage through the knockout rounds to the semi-finals, reaffirming his status as the standout figure in his national team’s journey to the final.

The secret behind Messi’s continued dominance at the top, despite turning 39, lies in a fundamental transformation of his playing style. No longer reliant on explosive sprints and repeated dribbles that defined his early career, he now depends on reading the game, choosing the right moments, and exploiting spaces before they fully open. His primary strength has shifted from foot speed to mental quickness, making him more dangerous to opponents despite the decline in his physical metrics.

Messi will contest the 2026 World Cup final at the age of 39 years and 25 days, becoming the oldest outfield player to appear in a World Cup final. Historically, only Italian goalkeeper Dino Zoff surpasses this record, having played in the 1982 final at 40 years and 133 days. Data from Opta indicates that Messi has a chance to break the record for most goals scored in a World Cup final, currently held by Sweden’s Nils Liedholm, who scored against Brazil in the 1958 final at the age of 35 years and 264 days.

This heavy reliance on Messi evokes memories of Diego Maradona’s performance at the 1986 World Cup, when he was the central pillar of the Argentine squad and was also close to leading his country to a back-to-back title, before losing the 1990 World Cup final in Italy to Germany in a match that remains controversial. Since 1966, only seven players have managed to surpass the threshold of 30 shot contributions while participating in more than half of their team’s attacking attempts during a single World Cup edition. Messi has appeared on this list twice, in 2022 and 2026, while Maradona recorded a contribution rate of 55.7% in 1986.

Messi continues to chase further records, extending his World Cup appearance tally to 33 matches, thereby reinforcing his status as the player with the most appearances in the tournament’s history. He surpassed the previous record held by German legend Lothar Matthäus, who played in 25 matches. Messi will also become the first player in football history to participate in six different World Cup editions (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026), alongside Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Mexico’s Guillermo Ochoa.

Messi also tops the list of most assists in World Cup history, having extended his record to 12 key passes. He stands alone as the player with the most goal contributions in World Cup knockout stages over the past 60 years, having surpassed the 10-assist mark. The “Puma” will contest his third World Cup final, joining a select group of players who have reached the final three times.

Messi’s participation in the 2026 World Cup is marked by exceptional statistics at the age of 39, and he has a strong chance of winning his ninth Ballon d’Or, further cementing his record as the player with the most awards. He has previously won the prize eight times (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2023), continuing to write a new chapter in history and perhaps closing the pages of an entire era, awaiting the emergence of a new legend.