Lionel Messi’s Argentina have reached the final of the FIFA World Cup 2026 and will take on Spain in the summit clash on Sunday (July 19) at New York New Jersey Stadium in their bid to lift the coveted trophy. In addition to chasing another FIFA World Cup title, Messi will also have the opportunity to win the FIFA Golden Ball and FIFA Golden Boot awards while breaking multiple records in the final.
By featuring in the final of FIFA World Cup 2026 on July 19 against Spain, Messi will become the oldest outfield player ever (39 years, 25 days) to play in a FIFA World Cup final. The overall record for the oldest player to appear in a World Cup final, however, still belongs to Italy legend Dino Zoff, who was 40 years and 133 days old when he played against West Germany in the 1982 final. Since Zoff was a goalkeeper, Messi’s achievement would apply exclusively to outfield players. (Picture Credit: AP)
Messi’s inclusion in Argentina’s XI against Spain in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final on Sunday will also see him enter another exclusive club. The Argentine captain will become only the second player in history to feature in three FIFA World Cup finals. The only player to have previously achieved the feat is Brazil legend Cafu, who played in three successive World Cup finals in 1994, 1998 and 2002. Messi has previously featured for Argentina in the 2014 and 2022 FIFA World Cup finals. (Picture Credit: AP)
Lionel Messi will create another piece of FIFA World Cup history when he leads Argentina against Spain in the final of the 2026 edition on Sunday, July 19. By captaining La Albiceleste in the summit clash, Messi will become the first player ever to captain a team in three FIFA World Cup finals. The Argentine superstar previously wore the captain’s armband in the 2014 final against Germany and the 2022 final against France, leading his country to World Cup glory in Qatar four years ago. Several legendary captains, including Germany’s Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Argentina’s Diego Maradona, Brazil’s Dunga, France’s Hugo Lloris have led their nations in two World Cup finals, but no player has ever captained a side in three finals before. (Picture Credit: AP)
Numerous footballers have won the FIFA World Cup twice, particularly members of Italy’s victorious teams in 1934 and 1938 and Brazil’s title-winning sides in 1958 and 1962. However, Lionel Messi could achieve something no player has managed before. If Argentina defeat Spain in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final, Messi will become the first player in history to win two World Cup titles as captain of his national team. Several legendary footballers have lifted the trophy twice, including Italy’s Giuseppe Meazza and Brazil’s Bellini, Mauro Ramos and Cafu, as well as Argentina’s Daniel Passarella. However, each of them captained their country to only one of those triumphs. (Picture Credit: AP)
Messi, who has already scored eight goals in the ongoing tournament, could also become the oldest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup final history if he finds the net against Spain. The current record is held by Sweden’s Nils Liedholm, who was 35 years and 264 days old when he scored in the 1958 final against Brazil. (Picture Credit: Instagram)
A goal in the final would also see Messi surpass Guillermo Stábile’s long-standing record for the most goals scored by an Argentine player in a single World Cup edition. Stábile scored eight goals during the inaugural FIFA World Cup in 1930, a tally Messi has already equalled in the 2026 tournament. (Picture Credit: AFP)
Should Messi score a brace in the final, he would become the first non-European and only the fourth player overall to score 10 or more goals in a single edition of the FIFA World Cup. The record for the most goals in one World Cup remains with France’s Just Fontaine, who scored 13 goals in 1958. Hungary’s Sándor Kocsis follows with 11 goals in 1954, while West Germany’s Gerd Müller scored 10 goals in the 1970 edition. (Picture Credit: AP)
If Lionel Messi scores against Spain in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final, he will become only the sixth player in history to score in two different FIFA World Cup finals. Messi scored twice in Argentina’s dramatic 3-3 draw against France in the 2022 final before La Albiceleste triumphed on penalties. A goal on Sunday would see him join an elite list featuring Brazil’s Vavá and Pelé, Germany’s Paul Breitner, France’s Zinedine Zidane and Kylian Mbappé. Vavá scored in the 1958 and 1962 finals for Brazil, while Pelé found the net in the 1958 and 1970 finals. Breitner scored for West Germany in the 1974 and 1982 finals, whereas Zidane achieved the feat by scoring in the 1998 and 2006 finals. Mbappé scored in both the 2018 and 2022 finals for France. (Picture Credit: AP)
If Messi scores in the final and Argentina go on to defeat Spain and retain the title, he will move to nine goals in the tournament and become the outright holder of the record for the most goals scored by a player for a World Cup-winning side. The current record is held by Brazil legend Ronaldo, who scored eight goals during Brazil’s triumphant 2002 campaign. (Picture Credit: AP)
Messi has already scored twice in FIFA World Cup finals, having netted a brace against France in the 2022 final. If he scores two goals against Spain, he will equal Kylian Mbappé’s all-time record of four goals in FIFA World Cup finals. Should Messi score a hat-trick against Spain, he would surpass Mbappé and become the first player ever to score five goals in FIFA World Cup finals. A treble in the final would also make Messi only the second player after Geoff Hurst to score a hat-trick in a FIFA World Cup final. Hurst scored three goals for England against West Germany in the 1966 final. (Picture Credit: AP)
Argentina are aiming to become only the third nation in football history after Italy (1934, 1938) and Brazil (1958, 1962) to successfully defend the FIFA World Cup title. If Argentina emerge victorious against Spain, Lionel Messi will become the oldest player ever to retain the FIFA World Cup title. The current record is held by Brazil legend Nilton Santos, who was 37 years old when he helped Brazil win their second successive World Cup in 1962. (Picture Credit: AFP)
