Messi’s last World Cup was 2026, his sixth and final World Cup, and it ended with Argentina losing the final 1-0 to Spain after extra time. He arrived as the reigning champion from 2022 and left one goal short of keeping the trophy. Argentina kept finding a way back while Messi chased Kylian Mbappe in the scoring race, and the last dance label followed Messi into August. Fizbal’s films bring you soccer’s greatest players and their stories. The longer history lives at every World Cup winner since 1930.
How far did Argentina go at the 2026 World Cup?
Argentina reached the final at the 2026 World Cup and lost it 1-0 to Spain after extra time. The run started with three group wins before the knockout rounds.
| Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Round of 32 | Cape Verde | Won 3-2 after extra time |
| Round of 16 | Egypt | Won 3-2 |
| Quarterfinal | Switzerland | Won 3-1 after extra time |
| Semifinal | England | Won 2-1 |
| Final | Spain | Lost 1-0 after extra time |
Two of those wins needed extra time, and two more, against Egypt and England, were comebacks from a goal or more down.
What did Messi do at the 2026 World Cup?
The short answer
On June 22, against Austria in the group stage, he passed Miroslav Klose’s World Cup scoring record of 16.
Against Cape Verde in the round of 32, he scored the first goal in a 3-2 extra-time win. Egypt led 2-0 in the round of 16 in Atlanta on July 7, and Messi’s early penalty was saved. Cristian Romero started the comeback, and Messi scored his eighth and last goal of the tournament. Enzo Fernandez finished it in stoppage time.
In the quarterfinal on July 11, Alexis Mac Allister headed in his corner, Switzerland went down to ten men, and Julian Alvarez scored in the 112th minute. England went ahead in the semifinal in Atlanta on July 15 before Enzo Fernandez headed in his cross; Lautaro Martinez won it in stoppage time. He played every minute of the final.
Where did Messi finish in the 2026 Golden Boot race?
Messi finished second in the 2026 Golden Boot race with 8 goals; Kylian Mbappe won the award for the tournament’s top scorer with 10, his second Golden Boot in a row. Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham both ended on 7 goals.
| Player | Goals | How the run ended |
|---|---|---|
| Kylian Mbappe | 10 | France lost the semifinal to Spain, then the third-place match 6-4 to England |
| Lionel Messi | 8 | Argentina lost the final to Spain after extra time |
| Erling Haaland | 7 | Norway lost the quarterfinal to England after extra time |
| Jude Bellingham | 7 | England lost the semifinal to Argentina, then won the third-place match |
Mbappe’s two goals in the third-place match on July 18 settled the race and took the all-time World Cup scoring record, 22 to Messi’s 21.
Why was 2026 called Messi’s last dance?
The press called 2026 Messi’s last dance because it was his sixth World Cup and was widely expected to be his last, though he never said so himself, before or during the tournament. The label covered Cristiano Ronaldo’s tournament too: the two were the first players to appear at six World Cups. Messi came in as the reigning champion. Six weeks after the final, on August 31, 2026, he retired from the Argentina team, and the label stopped being a guess.
What happened in the final against Spain?
Spain won the final 1-0 after extra time on July 19, 2026, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with Ferran Torres scoring in the 106th minute. Messi played the whole match, and the title was Spain’s second after 2010. The full account of that match is at the 2026 final.
How does Messi’s 2026 compare with 2022?
The difference is the ending: 2022 finished with the trophy, 2026 one goal short of it.
| Tournament | How Argentina’s run ended | Messi’s goals | The story we tell |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Won the final against France on penalties after a 3-3 draw, December 18, 2022 | 7 | The one prize he had never lifted |
| 2026 | Lost the final 1-0 to Spain after extra time, July 19, 2026 | 8 | Eight goals, and still one short |
In 2022 he scored twice in the final, added 3 assists and won the Golden Ball. In 2026 he scored more goals but none after the round of 16, and the Golden Ball went to Rodri of Spain while Messi took the Silver Ball. For the longer argument over where he stands, the Messi vs Ronaldo debate gets its own page.
Is Messi retired?
The short answer
Will Messi play at the 2030 World Cup?
The short answer
Is 2026 the last World Cup for Messi and Ronaldo?
The short answer
The parallel ending is told in Ronaldo’s last World Cup.
