Fans will be chanting Lionel Messi’s name when Argentina take on Spain in their FIFA World Cup final showdown at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford. But for the 39-year-old, the match is more than another shot at history. It is a return to the very stadium where ten years ago, he announced his international retirement.
In 2016, Argentina crashed to a heartbreaking defeat against Chile in the Copa America final. It was their third successive final, and they lost all three (the 2014 World Cup and the 2015 Copa America).
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The match was goalless in extra time, and Chile reigned supreme on penalties, with Messi also blasting his spot-kick over the bar.
‘For me, the national team is over’: Lionel Messi
Minutes later, he announced his international retirement to the world, stating, “For me, the national team is over.”
He was only 29 then, but it looked like the criticism from Argentine fans was finally getting to him, and the defeat against Chile hit a nerve. It felt like the end of an era. But in reality, it was the start of a new chapter for the former Barcelona man.
After pressure from the public and even politicians, Messi reversed his decision two months later. In their qualification campaign for the 2018 World Cup, Argentina were struggling, and it was Messi who came to their rescue on the final day of qualifying in Quito.
After Ecuador scored in the opening minute, he responded with a sensational hat-trick to clinch a 3-1 comeback win, taking Argentina to the World Cup single-handedly.
But the 2018 World Cup proved to be another disappointment. Under Jorge Sampaoli, they crashed out of the Round of 16. The best was yet to come!
The Argentina Football Association appointed Lionel Scaloni initially as an interim coach. Nobody expected him to continue, but he proved his critics wrong. The former player built his team around Messi without making it dependent on him. The likes of Rodrigo De Paul, Cristian Romero, and Emiliano Martinez formed the backbone of a side that could press, defend and create chances. They ended their 28-year wait for a major trophy by defeating Brazil in the 2021 Copa America final.
Then, a year later, came the biggest achievement as Messi inspired Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title in Qatar. The success didn’t end there; they went on to win the Copa America again in 2024.
Now he has the chance to script history again, and fate has brought him back to the stadium where everything seemed to fall apart. Only two nations have ever won back-to-back World Cup titles: Italy (1934, 1938) and Brazil (1958, 1962).
