Lionel Messi received a runner-up medal after Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in extra time in the World Cup final, ending the defending champion’s bid for consecutive titles. Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal in the 106th minute to close Messi’s sixth World Cup campaign with Argentina.

What happened

Argentina held Spain scoreless through regulation despite sustained pressure and a pronounced early disadvantage in corners. The match remained tied until Torres broke through during extra time, giving Spain the only goal it needed.

The defeat brought Argentina’s title defense to an end four years after its 2022 triumph. Messi remained at the center of the occasion through the medal ceremony, but this time he left the final with the runner-up medal rather than the trophy.

Why it matters

The result denied Messi another championship after he led Argentina to the 2022 title. It also delivered a potentially definitive ending to his World Cup career, with the 39-year-old having indicated that this could be his final match in the tournament.

A second consecutive championship would have extended Argentina’s reign and added another title to Messi’s international résumé. Instead, Spain ended that pursuit in extra time and left Messi’s future with the national team as the central question following the tournament.

By the numbers

Spain took nine of the match’s first 10 corners, a measure of the pressure Argentina faced before the breakthrough. Argentina’s goalkeeper kept the game level deep into extra time by making 12 saves, a record for a World Cup final.

Those saves preserved Argentina’s chance through 105 minutes, but the resistance ended one minute into the second period of extra time. Torres’ 106th-minute goal separated the teams and completed Spain’s 1-0 victory.

What to watch next

Attention now turns to whether Messi confirms his international future after the tournament. His comments before the final raised the possibility that the loss to Spain marked his last World Cup appearance.

Any decision would close or extend an international career that has now included six World Cup campaigns. Until Messi provides that answer, the image of him accepting the runner-up medal after Spain’s extra-time win will stand as the closing scene of his latest tournament.