Distraught Lionel Messi bursts into tears as his World Cup career ends in heartbreak after brutal loss to Spain
A heartbroken Lionel Messi broke down in tears on the field after receiving the runner-up medal in his final match, which will almost certainly qualify him for the World Cup.
The Argentinian captain, who spent most of his career in Barcelona, was ineffective in the New Jersey match against Spain as his team could not score a goal in 120 minutes.
The tournament in America was almost certainly Messi’s last international game, and his emotional reaction at full-time confirmed that to some extent.
When the final whistle blew, he fell to the ground and put his hands to his face, unconsoled by his teammates and opponents alike.
The emotions of the moment were overwhelming for the sport’s all-time great, as he broke down in tears just before Spain lifted the trophy after gathering himself to accept his second-place medal from Donald Trump.
Messi’s career will continue at Inter Miami, but considering he will be 43 at the next World Cup, it seems unlikely that he will play for his country at the highest level again.
Lionel Messi unleashed tears immediately after receiving his World Cup runners-up medal
Messi looked inconsolable at the end of arguably his last World Cup match.
In a heartbreaking scene, he sat alone on the lawn of New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium
Messi was making his third World Cup final appearance, four years after lifting the trophy for his country in Qatar.
In the biggest match played for the first time in Brazil in 2014, he and his compatriots lost to Germany in extra time.
It was the same outcome for Messi, who was heartbroken on Sunday; Spaniard Ferran Torres scored the only goal of the match in the additional 30-minute period.
In the game itself, Messi struggled to make an impact against the country he knows so well, and Lamine Yamal and Co. He could barely keep up with teams like.
While an estimated 1.7 billion people around the world expected Messi to produce the magic we so often see from him, he struggled to find the tempo of the game and was unable to help his team to victory.
Messi sits on the grass at MetLife and watches the Spanish players celebrate their victory
Football fans are unlikely to see the great man on the World Cup stage again
Eric Garcia hugs Messi on the field after Spain’s hard-fought 1-0 win in New Jersey
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How should Messi’s World Cup legacy be remembered after this emotional farewell?
After receiving his losers’ medal from Trump, he stood in front of Argentinian fans in the stadium and let the emotion flow.
On X, one fan wrote about the moment: ‘If you don’t feel sorry for Messi, you’re not a football fan.’
Another added: ‘Thanks for everything you put into this game. You will always be the best.’
Meanwhile a third said: ‘Damn, best of all time. Best ever to do this.’
