分类： sports

For soccer icon Lionel Messi, Sunday’s 2026 World Cup final was supposed to be the perfect coda to a legendary career: a second consecutive world title with Argentina that would silence any remaining debate over his status as the greatest men’s soccer player of all time. Instead, the 39-year-old left the pitch at MetLife Stadium in tears after a lopsided 1-0 extra-time defeat to Spain, bringing an underwhelming end to what had been billed as his final World Cup campaign.

Messi carried Argentina through the tournament, dragging the defending champions back to the final with a standout performance that included eight tournament goals, headlined by a dramatic late comeback against England in the semi-finals that included two assists from the captain. But from kickoff, the 2026 final never went Argentina’s way. Things turned for the worse when star midfielder Enzo Fernandez was shown a red card in first-half stoppage time, leaving the South American side down to 10 men for the entirety of the second half and extra time.

The undermanned Argentine side failed to mount any meaningful offensive pressure against a dominant Spanish side, struggling to string together coherent attacks and relying heavily on cynical fouling to disrupt Spain’s rhythm. The match stayed scoreless until the 106th minute, when Ferran Torres broke the deadlock to put Spain ahead, a lead they would not relinquish. For Messi, the match was particularly quiet: he recorded just 54 total touches on the ball, nearly half of which came in extra time, and never came close to scoring the goal that would have tied Kylian Mbappe’s all-time men’s World Cup scoring record of 22 goals.

Down a player, coach Lionel Scaloni opted to leave Messi on the pitch as a lone striker rather than bring on fresh-legged forward Lautaro Martinez, a decision that left many questioning whether the aging captain ultimately became a liability for his already stretched team. The defeat means Argentina failed to become the first men’s national team to defend a World Cup title since Brazil in 1962, a milestone that would have capped Messi’s international legacy perfectly.

Even in defeat, the 2026 final gave Messi a historic milestone to add to his collection. His appearance in Sunday’s match marked his third World Cup final appearance, tying the all-time record held by Brazilian great Cafu. Only Pele has won three World Cup titles, though he did not feature in the 1962 final due to injury, while Diego Maradona and Messi have both appeared in two winning and two losing finals. Critics of Messi’s GOAT status will likely point to this latest defeat, his second World Cup final loss following a 1-1 defeat to Germany in 2014.

A full-circle subtext hung over the match, as Sunday’s final was hosted at the same MetLife Stadium where a heartbroken Messi announced his first retirement from international soccer back in 2016. That same year, after losing a third major final with Argentina (a Copa America Centenario penalty shootout defeat to Chile that ended with Messi missing a decisive spot-kick), he told reporters “For me the national team is over.” What followed was one of the most remarkable late-career revivals in sports history: Messi led Argentina to back-to-back Copa America titles in 2021 and 2024, sandwiched around the iconic 2022 World Cup victory in Qatar that cemented his international legacy.

When the 2026 North American World Cup was announced, the tournament was framed as a victory lap for Messi, who opened his campaign with a hat-trick against Algeria and remained consistent in front of goal all tournament. He retires from World Cup play with a record 34 matches across six shared-record World Cup tournaments, and more than 200 senior caps for Argentina. With the 2030 World Cup set to take place when Messi will be in his early 40s, Sunday’s final is almost certainly the last World Cup appearance of his career. While he remains under contract with MLS side Inter Miami through 2028, leaving the door open for continued international play, this underwhelming defeat is widely seen as the quiet end to one of the greatest international careers in soccer history. It was a glorious run, but for Messi and Argentina, Sunday’s final was ultimately a step too far.

In a tense, physically fraught World Cup final at East Rutherford’s MetLife Stadium, Ferran Torres’ 106th-minute strike delivered Spain a historic 1-0 extra-time victory over defending champions Argentina, crushing Lionel Messi’s long-awaited hope of a second World Cup title in what is widely expected to be his final appearance on the sport’s biggest global stage.

A capacity crowd of 80,663 spectators, including former U.S. President Donald Trump, packed into the venue to watch the 39-year-old Argentine maestro attempt to cap his decorated career with one last major triumph. But Spain seized control of the match from the opening minutes, leaving Messi largely ineffective against a well-drilled Spanish side, while Argentina’s campaign was marred by repeated rough challenges and disciplinary issues.

The game was marked by persistent niggly fouls from the South American side from kickoff. As early as the 15th minute, Alexis Mac Allinger caught Spain’s Dani Olmo on the ankle with a high studs-up challenge that only earned a free kick, no yellow card from Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic. Minutes later, Spain’s Alex Baena escaped sanction after catching Messi with an elbow to the back. Nicolas Tagliafico also avoided a caution for a clumsy, raking challenge that left Spain’s teen star Lamine Yamal with a calf injury, before Lisandro Martinez eventually picked up a yellow card for a cynical foul on Mikel Oyarzabal. The Arsenal defender was forced off shortly after with an apparent injury, replaced by veteran Nicolas Otamendi.

The first half remained goalless, with Spain dominating possession and probing for openings but failing to convert their chances. A controversial 27-minute extended half-time show featuring global music superstars Madonna, Shakira and Justin Bieber did nothing to disrupt Spain’s momentum. The second half saw Spain ramp up the pressure, leaving Argentina pinned deep in their own half in full defensive siege mode.

Spain manager Luis de la Fuente turned to his bench to inject fresh attacking energy, bringing on Pedri and Ferran Torres for Fabian Ruiz and Oyarzabal. The substitutions immediately opened up more chances: Yamal’s clipped cross found Torres, whose downward header was pushed away by Argentina goalkeeper Emi Martinez; long-range strikes from Pedri and Pau Cubarsi forced awkward saves from Martinez, who somehow kept Argentina level through regulation time. Later substitutions Nico Williams and Mikel Merino added even more attacking thrust, but Argentina held on to force extra time, despite Enzo Fernandez picking up a yellow card for dissent in the 82nd minute. In the final moments of regulation, Fernandez was sent off for a brutal challenge on Cubarsi in stoppage time, leaving Argentina to play the entirety of extra time with 10 men.

Spain’s dominance continued in extra time. Williams saw a glancing header turned away by a brilliant one-handed save from Martinez, and minutes later he slid a low finish into the back of the net only for the goal to be ruled out for a marginal foul on Otamendi. The Spanish side did not let the controversial call derail them, however. A lofted cross from Pedro Porro to the back post found Williams, who nodded the ball into the path of Torres. The Barcelona striker crashed home a thumping finish to break the deadlock, sealing Spain’s second World Cup title following their maiden triumph in 2010.

Argentina launched one desperate late attack to force penalties, but Spain held firm to secure the win. Speaking after the match, Torres deflected praise for the winning goal, emphasizing the achievement belonged to the entire nation. “Ultimately, the goal belongs to 47 million people — not just me or the 26 players,” the match-winner said. “At the end of the day, all finals are tough; when you’re up against Messi, there’s a certain nervousness, but we always believed in our football and in ourselves.”

For Argentina, the defeat brings an end to their title defense and likely marks the close of Messi’s iconic World Cup career, leaving the soccer legend without the fairytale farewell he and millions of fans around the world had hoped for.

One of the most tightly contested World Cup finals in recent memory delivered a historic result Sunday, as Ferran Torres’ second extra-time goal gave Spain a hard-fought 1-0 victory over 10-player Argentina, securing La Roja’s second ever World Cup title at MetLife Stadium.

As European champions heading into the showpiece match, Spain controlled large swathes of play for nearly 120 minutes, dictating tempo through their signature short-passing possession style. But they ran into a brick wall of veteran, streetwise defending from the reigning champions Argentina, who packed their defensive block and repeatedly frustrated Spain’s attacking advances for most of regulation.

Standing out as Argentina’s unsung hero through 90 minutes was goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who pulled off a string of spectacular reflex saves to keep Spain off the scoreboard and preserve a scoreless deadlock heading into stoppage time. That balance of the match shifted dramatically, however, when Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez was shown a red card in second-half stoppage time, sent off after picking up a second yellow card for a reckless sliding tackle on Spanish defender Pau Cubarsi.

Down a player for the extra 30 minutes, Argentina dropped even deeper into a defensive formation, clinging to the goalless draw to force a penalty shootout. Spain continued to probe the backline, probing for gaps in the tired Argentine defense, and finally found the breakthrough they had chased for nearly two hours. Early in the second half of extra time, Nico Williams delivered a perfectly weighted knock-back into the path of substitute Ferran Torres, who slotted a crisp, clinical finish beyond Martinez’s reach to open the scoring.

The result capped off a dominant defensive campaign for Spain led by manager Luis de la Fuente: across seven matches en route to the title, La Roja conceded only a single goal, using their fluid, high-possession system to smother opposing attacks and grind out results. For Argentina, the loss ended a dramatic knockout-stage run that had captured global attention: Lionel Messi’s side clawed their way back from a near-elimination against Egypt to reach the semi-finals, then fought back from an early one-goal deficit to defeat England and book their spot in the final.

In a moment of high drama at Royal Birkdale on Sunday, 39-year-old New Zealand golfer Ryan Fox etched his name into golfing history, clinching the 154th British Open with a clutch birdie on the 18th hole to claim his first career major championship at 10 under par.

Ranked 56th in the world entering the tournament, Fox’s road to the Claret Jug was far from straightforward. After opening the first two rounds at level par, he sat in 52nd place and far outside most experts’ predictions of a winner. But a stunning Saturday round saw the Kiwi tie the all-time record for the lowest single-round score in men’s major championships, carding a 62 that catapulted him into contention heading into the final round.

As overnight leader Sam Burns of the U.S. and other top contenders collapsed under the intense pressure of championship Sunday, Fox stayed steady. He notched birdies on holes 13, 14, 16, and the decisive 18th, holding off a late charge from American Cameron Young to secure a one-stroke victory — the biggest win of his professional career by a wide margin.

“I don’t really know what to think at the moment,” Fox told reporters immediately after his win. “I spoke to my kids last night and they said ‘bring back a trophy’. I think this is a pretty cool one to bring back for them.”

Fox makes history as just the third New Zealander ever to win a men’s major championship, following Bob Charles’ 1964 British Open victory and Michael Campbell’s 2005 U.S. Open win. The son of former All Blacks rugby international Grant Fox, Fox’s underdog run capped a day defined by collapsing frontrunners and last-minute twists.

Overnight leader Sam Burns held a two-shot advantage heading into Sunday, but three consecutive bogeys on holes four through six erased his lead early, and he ultimately finished third at eight under par, falling short of his first major title. South Korea’s Kim Si-woo climbed within striking distance of his own first major with nine holes remaining, but imploded on the back nine with a four-over-par finish that knocked him out of contention.

Cameron Young, who began the day seven shots off the lead after a four-over back nine on Saturday, mounted a stunning late charge that nearly stole the title. The world number four shot a 29 on the front nine to climb into contention, carded additional birdies on the par-fives 14 and 17 to reach 10 under par alongside Fox heading into the final hole. But a wayward tee shot landed Young in a sand trap, and his second shot crashed into the bunker face, resulting in a costly bogey that left him one shot short of the playoff spot.

Defending champion Scottie Scheffler, the world’s top-ranked golfer, also mounted a early comeback charge but ultimately fell short, finishing tied for fourth at seven under par. Scheffler cut his six-shot opening deficit in half with three birdies in his first five holes, but bogeys on 13, 15, and 18 kept him from adding a fifth major title to his career in 2026.

Local favorite Tommy Fleetwood joined Scheffler in a tie for fourth, briefly giving British fans hopes of ending the country’s 34-year wait for a homegrown British Open champion. The world number nine climbed to within one shot of the lead after shooting three under par through eight holes, but three consecutive bogeys pushed him back before a late birdie-birdie finish lifted him into the top four.

Former major winner Rory McIlroy never mounted a serious contention for his seventh major title, finishing the tournament at one under par after a final-round 71. “Any time I got a little bit of momentum out there, I seemed to make a bogey,” said the world number two. “Just one of those weeks I couldn’t get it going.” American Bryson DeChambeau, who received a two-shot penalty after his second round on Friday, finished at four under par, with the penalty ultimately not affecting the final championship outcome.

In the days leading up to one of the most anticipated FIFA World Cup finals in recent hosting history, thousands of boisterous Argentine supporters have turned the heart of New York City back into a vibrant World Cup carnival, breathing new life into flagging local excitement ahead of Sunday’s blockbuster showdown with Spain at MetLife Stadium.

Local enthusiasm for the co-hosted tournament had slumped sharply after the United States men’s national team was eliminated from competition by Belgium on July 6. Compounding that dip in interest were a series of disruptive external challenges: a deadly Legionnaires’ disease outbreak, extreme volatile weather including fierce storms, widespread flooding, and poor air quality driven by smoke drifting from Canadian wildfires. Even the structure of the tournament contributed to waning buzz: as nations with large diaspora communities in New York, such as Mexico and Egypt, were knocked out round after round, casual local engagement faded steadily. Many native New Yorkers also left the city for summer weekend getaways ahead of the final, and the historic sky-high ticket prices for the match have put attendance out of reach for most fans. Secondary ticketing platform TickPick reports the average final ticket resells for $11,325, making it the most expensive single sporting event in U.S. history.

Despite these headwinds, the sea of blue and white striped Argentine jerseys that have flooded Manhattan’s tourist hubs, Penn Station, and the city’s unofficial World Cup gathering spot at Times Square have rekindled the global soccer spectacle’s energy in the Big Apple. Even two four-legged fans got in on the action, decked out in Argentina’s iconic national kit. Across midtown, Spanish supporters gathered in their own pockets around Madison Square Garden, one fan clutching a replica World Cup trophy in anticipation of kickoff.

Florencia Luzinin, a 30-year-old Argentine dentist who traveled to be part of the final buildup, summed up the emotion surrounding the match for many fans, noting this is widely expected to be Lionel Messi’s final World Cup appearance. “I’m very nervous because I love Argentina. It’s the final. It’s probably the last of Messi. So maybe it’s our day. I don’t know. We came across a few Spaniards but I don’t look at them,” she said.

Alessandra Pichler, a 27-year-old Spanish supporter, predicted a 3-1 win for her side and praised the U.S. hosting effort. “I think the US has done a great job hosting all the games I’ve been to. I’ve been very impressed,” she added.

Chip Parham, a New York-based film festival organizer who was gearing up to watch the match, said the drop-off in local interest after the U.S. exit followed a familiar pattern for international sporting events held on American soil. “I think that a reaction for people to lose interest in the World Cup when their country is eliminated is the same as any sporting event. In any city there is a decline in interest for any sporting event that doesn’t feature a local team. With the exception of the Super Bowl,” he explained.

Howie Ray, a 42-year-old New Yorker who shifted his support to England after the U.S. elimination, echoed that observation, noting that even with both finalists in place, local engagement remained muted outside of concentrated fan pockets in Midtown. “It’s been slightly overshadowed. I think there was fatigue after all the games of the group stage and then the US getting eliminated. Spain and Argentina also have relatively small immigrant populations in the city,” Ray said. “A lot of my friends have felt disconnected the entire tournament due to the tickets being unaffordable.”

For the thousands of fans who cannot secure or afford tickets to the 82,500-capacity MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, a wide range of alternative watch party options have popped up across the city. Global Citizen is hosting an all-star live concert in Central Park that will run simultaneously with the final, while the American Museum of Natural History is offering fans the unique chance to watch Messi’s bid for a fourth Argentine World Cup title alongside the institution’s iconic dinosaur exhibits.

Even with tepid widespread engagement outside of Midtown, the 2026 co-hosted World Cup has left a measurable mark on New York’s sporting landscape. New York City Comptroller Mark Levine confirmed that Gotham FC, the city’s professional women’s soccer team, recently drew the largest crowd ever recorded for a women’s sporting event in New York history, a bump organizers attribute to broader World Cup-fueled interest in soccer. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani also made headlines ahead of the final for watching England’s quarterfinal exit to Argentina with incarcerated people at the city’s Rikers Island jail facility.

Ahead of kickoff, city officials reaffirmed their commitment to making the World Cup accessible to all New Yorkers. “We said from the beginning that the World Cup belongs to New Yorkers. This summer, we proved it,” Mamdani said. As of Saturday, air quality at MetLife Stadium had returned to normal, clearing the final hurdle for Sunday’s historic showdown.