Lionel Messi added another remarkable milestone to his legendary career despite Argentina’s heartbreaking defeat to Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final at MetLife Stadium.
The Argentina captain became the oldest outfield player to appear in a FIFA World Cup final at the age of 39 years and 25 days.
Messi surpassed Sweden’s Gunnar Gren, who was 37 years and 241 days old when he played against Brazil in the 1958 World Cup final.
The Inter Miami forward also became only the second player in football history to appear in three World Cup finals.
Messi reached the final with Argentina in 2014, 2022 and 2026, matching the achievement of Brazilian great Cafu, who appeared in the 1994, 1998 and 2002 finals.
However, Messi’s record-breaking appearance ended in disappointment as Argentina suffered a 1-0 defeat after extra time.
Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal to give Spain its second World Cup title.
Messi captained Argentina throughout the tournament and once again led his country onto football’s biggest stage, extending a career already filled with individual and team honors.
His latest appearance in the final came 12 years after his first in 2014, when Argentina lost to Germany. It also came four years after he lifted the World Cup trophy in Qatar in 2022.
Despite the defeat, Messi’s appearance further strengthened his place among the greatest players in the history of the sport.
His longevity at the highest level allowed him to break another World Cup record while joining an exclusive group of players who have competed in three finals.
Although Argentina failed to retain the title, Messi’s historic achievement ensured that his name was once again written into the World Cup record books.
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