Lionel Messi’s final World Cup match was a total gut punch, not just because Argentina completely fell apart, but because their captain, Messi himself, got called “a baby” on air. This all went down during a super tense World Cup final in New York, and it was rough to watch a legend’s last dance unfold like that.
The “Baby” Call Nobody Saw Coming
The whole “baby” label popped up after Messi apparently tried to get Spain’s Marc Cucurella sent off. There was this interaction between them during the intense final, right after Argentina’s Enzo Fernandez got a red card for a second yellow after fouling Pau Cubarsi. While players were surrounding the Slovenian referee, Slavko Vincic, Cucurella tried to speak with Messi. But what did Messi do? He went straight to Vincic, desperate to report the Real Madrid star for talking to him with his mouth covered. FIFA World Cup rules actually say players can get sent off for that, like Paraguay’s Miguel Almiron once did. But ITV commentator Lee Dixon was absolutely disgusted by Messi’s move. Dixon, a former England defender, blasted it on air, saying, “The game has gone if you’re getting bookings and red cards for that, to get somebody sent off. You shouldn’t be such a baby to try and get someone sent off for that, it’s ridiculous.” Talk about a brutal call!
Argentina’s Last Dance Ended in Collapse
In the end, super sub Ferran Torres was the hero, firing Spain to their second men’s World Cup triumph. Messi’s “last dance” finished with 10-man Argentina meekly falling to a 1-0 extra-time defeat. This was billed as a box-office final between the South American and European champions, but it turned into a defense versus attack slog. Argentina, who were the reigning champions and looked so good beating England in the semi-final, were a pale imitation of themselves. They failed to muster a single shot across 90 minutes. Honestly, it was only Emiliano Martinez’s heroics keeping Spain at bay, especially when he stopped teenager Lamine Yamal from scoring a match-winning free-kick. But after Enzo Fernandez got that brainless second yellow just before extra time, Lionel Scaloni’s lacklustre side just kept stumbling against Luis de la Fuente’s classy, ball-playing outfit. Spain kept knocking, and Torres eventually slammed home the winner at the start of the second period of extra time. Argentina couldn’t eke out an equalizer.
The final whistle brought wild Spanish celebrations, and for 39-year-old Messi, it surely called time on his World Cup career. What a way to go out, losing to a late goal and with tempers flaring.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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