Lionel Messi is set to play what’s likely his final World Cup game this Sunday in the final against Spain, a match that brings his incredible international career full circle. It’s happening exactly ten years after he dramatically quit the national team following a string of heartbreaking defeats.
That MetLife Nightmare That Almost Ended It All
Man, it feels like a fever dream now, but a decade ago, in that very same MetLife Stadium, Messi dropped a bombshell. Back then, he was the superstar who somehow always fell short for Argentina. The weight of a whole soccer-obsessed nation, absolutely desperate for their first major accolade since the 1993 Copa America, was crushing him. He’d racked up four UEFA Champions League titles with Barcelona, yeah, but with Argentina, he’d been to two Copa America finals and the 2014 World Cup final without a trophy to show for it. Then came the 2016 Copa America final at MetLife. Another 0-0 draw against Chile, another penalty shootout, and Messi *missed*. The pressure finally got to him. “My thinking right now and thinking about it in the locker room, I’m done playing with the national team,” he said at the time. “I tried my hardest. It’s been four finals, and I was not able to win. I tried.” What a moment.
The Unstoppable Force Nobody Can Neutralize
Fast forward to today, and Messi’s run has been so utterly formidable that his iconic status is locked in, World Cup medal or not. He’s led Argentina to two Copa America titles and a World Cup in just the last five years! Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente, who’s got the unenviable task of trying to neutralize Messi on Sunday, even has a classic story that sums it up. He remembers playing against Messi when De la Fuente was at Sevilla, in a Copa del Rey match against Barcelona. He tried man-marking Messi. In the 70th minute, it was 0-0. The player marking Messi got a yellow card, so De la Fuente subbed him out. Messi then scored four goals. That’s just what this guy does, right? A wave of inevitability.
Now, Messi’s swan song at a World Cup comes with the ultimate prize on the line. He could be a member of the first team to win back-to-back World Cups since Brazil did it in the 1970s. This Sunday’s final against Spain isn’t just a game, it’s a chance for Messi to thrust himself even further into the record books as the tournament’s greatest-ever goalscorer. What an incredible turnaround for a legend who once thought he was done.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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