Messi Sheds Tears

Post-Final Assessment: “Soccer 1, Criminals 0”

While all of Spain celebrates, Lionel Messi (right) sheds bitter tears after the World Cup final.(Bild: Krone-Collage/AP/Adam Hunger, AFP/PAUL ELLIS)

Following their disappointing performance in the World Cup final, the international press is coming down hard on Lionel Messi and his teammates. “Soccer 1, Criminals 0,” reads the headline in the British daily “The Telegraph.” In contrast, there was nothing but praise for the Spanish team, which secured its second title in history.

Spain was clearly superior for much of the match—yet the game went into extra time on Sunday in East Rutherford, near New York. In extra time, “super sub” Ferran Torres emerged as the hero with his goal to make it 1–0 in the 106th minute. For the second time since 2010, Spain was crowned world champion.

While all of Spain celebrates, Lionel Messi (right) sheds bitter tears after the World Cup final.(Bild: Krone-Collage/AP/Adam Hunger, AFP/PAUL ELLIS)

Argentina, on the other hand, put in a lackluster performance and failed in its bid to defend its title. No wonder the international press is coming down hard on superstar Lionel Messi and his teammates. Here’s an overview:

Spain
“Mundo Deportivo”: “Yes, it was the most decisive game of their lives. A game that will forever change the history of a country and a generation. Spain no longer has to view the year 2010 as just a fleeting memory. The national team, under Luis de la Fuente, wrote its own chapter in history at MetLife Stadium and claimed its second World Cup title against the Argentine team led by Leo Messi.”

“Sport”: “Spain claims its second star thanks to a bite from the ‘Shark’!”

“Marca”: “Kings of the World Once Again. Ferran Torres, who scored a monumental goal, joins the Hall of Fame of heroes.”

“As”: “Just like the first time. A goal by Ferran Torres in the 106th minute seals Spain’s second World Cup title in history. “La Roja” had 20 shots on goal, while Argentina had only two.”

“El Mundo”: “Spain ends Messi’s World Cup era.”

Argentina
“La Nación”: “The end of a dream.”

“La Capital”: “Argentina gave everything down to the last drop of blood, down to the last spark of courage, and down to the last bit of soccer it had left, and lost by the narrowest of margins in extra time, with only ten players, against a Spanish team that, while clearly superior, lacked the courage to decide the game earlier. Lionel Scaloni’s boys have nothing to be ashamed of—they played a phenomenal World Cup, with epic victories, with the love of the entire Argentine people, and they finished the tournament with their heads held high.”

“Olé”: “Argentina gave it their all and went down with their heads held high: Spain is the deserved 2026 World Champion.”

“Clarín”: “Thank you, Leo! Messi bids farewell to the World Cup with his third final and an unforgettable tournament. The Argentine captain sits on the field, resigned, but surely proud to have reached another final in his last World Cup.”

“Diario Popular”: “Argentina gave it their all, but Spain was better and is the world champion.”

“Buenos Aires Herald”: “It was a tough match for the Albiceleste, who struggled to get a grip on the game from the opening whistle. Spain had the majority of possession, while Argentina managed only sporadic counterattacks and failed to register a single shot on goal.”

Great disappointment also for Argentina’s head coach Lionel Scaloni(Bild: AFP/PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA)

England
“Daily Mail”: “A broken heart for Lionel Messi after his team loses the crown.”

“Sun”: “A fairy tale in New York. Ferran Torres’ goal in stoppage time breaks the hearts of Messi and Co. after Fernandez’s foolish red card.” Thanks to the gods of soccer. Thanks to Ferran Torres and Spain. Thanks and good night to the hooligans from Buenos Aires. Argentina ultimately had to pay the price for trying to turn a soccer match into a street brawl.”

“The Guardian”: “A dominant Spain wins the World Cup after a goal in extra time dethrones the ten-man Argentines.”

“The Telegraph”: “Spain wins the World Cup in a triumph of soccer over Argentina’s misdeeds. It took extra time, but thank God the sport prevailed. Spain is world champion, and soccer is better for it. Messi and Argentina deserve nothing, because they achieved nothing and were the first World Cup finalists to not even have a shot on goal in regulation time. Nothing but fouls, fouls, and more fouls. That was ugly, depressing anti-soccer. And it got what it deserved.”

France
“L’Équipe”: “The New Kings. Spain dominates an Argentine team that didn’t manage its first shot on goal until the 117th minute. Two years after winning the European Championship, La Roja reaffirms its status as the best team in the world. Spain dominated a disappointing and disjointed match against a barely recognizable, completely harmless Argentine team.”

“Le Parisien”: “The world lies at their feet. These Spaniards, who move the ball so skillfully that their opponents almost go crazy, are holding the World Cup trophy in their hands. Sixteen years after 2010, Spain has once again claimed a World Cup title—the second in its history.”

USA
“The Athletic”: “Substitute Ferran Torres was the hero. His goal broke Argentina’s heart and prevented Lionel Messi and his team from winning two World Cups in a row. The 39-year-old Messi had his most inconspicuous game of the tournament, with only a single touch of the ball in the first 15 minutes—and that came at kickoff. The choppy flow of the game was further accentuated by the 27-minute halftime show.”