NEW YORK, July 18, 2026 – When Argentina lost the 2016 Copa America final at MetLife Stadium, a heartbroken Lionel Messi tearfully announced his retirement from international football, saying, "I've done all I can." At 29, despite being one of the world's most decorated players, losses in three Copa America finals and the 2014 World Cup final left him seemingly destined never to win a major international trophy.

However, Messi was persuaded to return to the Argentina national team by an adoring nation. On Sunday, he is set to take the field at the same stadium—now rebranded as New York-New Jersey Stadium—to compete for a second successive World Cup winners' medal.

Messi's presence has been pivotal to five years of uninterrupted success for Argentina, a team that, while facing collective challenges, has rallied around him as a national symbol. Lautaro Martinez, who scored the stoppage-time winner assisted by Messi in the semi-final against England, praised the team's resilience, stating, "It's all happiness, and it's all thanks to this group which, in the face of adversity, keeps going and going and never gets tired."

Messi has demonstrated remarkable durability, playing every minute of Argentina's knockout games at this World Cup, including two that extended into extra time. His international trophy cabinet now includes the 2022 World Cup and Copa America titles in 2021 and 2024, even as his club career transitioned to Major League Soccer with Inter Miami. Contracted through the end of the 2028 MLS season, Messi has shown no indication that Sunday's game will be his last wearing the Argentina jersey, which he has graced 206 times over 21 years.

The debate over the greatest footballer of all time continues, but Messi's individual influence on World Cup success is often compared only to legends like Diego Maradona and Pele.

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