Lionel Messi leaves World Cup final in tears as Argentina future hangs in balance

Spain and Argentina went into extra time to decide a winner, and it was Spain that came away with the 1-0 victory.

The loss for Argentina means that the international football future of Lionel Messi is officially uncertain. The legendary player has entertained the idea that the 2026 World Cup would be his last, but has not made a definitive statement on his international soccer future.

Messi has now played in six World Cups and has scored 21 goals in the tournament.

After the loss to Spain, he was seen getting emotional on the pitch, seemingly taking everything in for possibly the last time on such a grand stage.

Messi has not yet said for sure if he will continue his international playing career. Ahead of the World Cup final, he posted twice on his Instagram account. One was a post of him wearing cleats that read "The Last Tango" on the bottom. The other was a message about playing for Argentina and what it has meant to him.

"The best part of all these years was never just the titles, but the journey itself. Sharing the day-to-day with this group, competing together, picking ourselves up during tough times, and enjoying every step of the way. Thank you to each of my teammates, the coaching staff, and everyone who works every day to ensure this national team remains a family. No matter what happens tomorrow, this group has already written a story that we will never forget, and that no one can erase"

Messi first played for Argentina at the 2006 World Cup. He made three appearances, with his first being off the bench as a substitute. In that tournament, Messi played in three matches and recorded one goal and one assist as Argentina reached the quarterfinals.

Overall, Messi's World Cup career spans 34 games. He has played a total of 3,054 minutes and has scored 21 goals with 12 assists.

The forward is 39 years old. If he does intend to play in the next World Cup in 2030, he will turn 43 by the time the tournament begins.

Champion Spain will serve as a co-host for the 2030 tournament (June 8 - July 21), along with Portugal and Morocco. Buenos Aires will host a special Centenary match marking the 100th anniversary of the first World Cup, along with Montevideo, Uruguay and Asuncion, Paraguay.