His Last Tango: Lionel Messi's Final World Cup Match

The 2026 FIFA World Cup has drawn to a close, marking the end of an era for football legends like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Luka Modric, who have likely played their final World Cup matches. The tournament culminated in a final between Spain and Argentina held in New York, concluding what is described as potentially the best World Cup ever.

The event, hosted across the USA, was characterized by its unique atmosphere within American football stadiums. Despite exorbitant prices for tickets, beer ($25 a can), and fries ($17), the experience is deemed unforgettable. For European viewers enduring late nights, the expanded "XXL-WM" format with 48 teams and 104 matches was perhaps overwhelming.

This World Cup was a record-breaker, featuring more goals, saves, and games. Notably, Italian club Inter Milan continued an impressive streak, having at least one player in the World Cup final for the twelfth consecutive tournament, with Lautaro Martínez representing them this time. This achievement stands in contrast to Italy's failure to qualify for the last three World Cups. Conversely, no Bayern Munich player featured in the final for the first time since 1978.

The tournament also saw a significant number of red cards, with fourteen issued by the final match, though an American player's card was reportedly put on probation after intervention from U.S. President Donald Trump. Several nations, including Canada, Curaçao, DR Congo, and Cape Verde, scored their first-ever World Cup points. Senegal's Ibrahim Mbaye became the youngest African scorer at a World Cup at 18 years and 143 days, surpassing Pelé's record.