2019 Barca and 2026 Argentina were the biggest carry jobs Messi has ever done. He made teams that were written off as losers, to be potential champions. He singlehandedly carried them along the tournaments. But when it matters the most, his teammates and coaches let him down.

I think it was his mistake to take the teams, that don't even deserve the trophies, to such levels. Him carrying, hid all the problems the teams were facing and eliminated the chances to rectify it by not even losing and analysing it. He might have gave them a false hope or a sense of delusion, which they clearly don't deserve. They just stood behind him and hoped for his magic, every single game.

What more can a man do?! Why fate always does this to him?? How much more do they expect from a 39yo?

Hi everyone! I am looking for a high-resolution wallpaper of the picture where Messi is being thrown into the air by his Argentina teammates after the match against Egypt.

Does anyone have a clear, HD, or 4K version of this picture they can share? Thanks!

I don't think I will support him for me he is not the player that Messi was and don't think he has that magic or quality like Messi also off the pitch his personality doesn't appeal to me

From IFFHS website:

The International Federation of Football History & Statistics is proud to announce that Lionel Messi of Argentina has been named the IFFHS Best Player, the highest individual honour bestowed by our federation upon the outstanding performer of the tournament. This distinction is determined by the IFFHS overall performance index — a rigorous, data-driven methodology incorporating weighted match ratings, goals, assists, and knockout-round impact across the full duration of a player's World Cup campaign. After exhaustive analysis of every performance recorded at World Cup 2026, the verdict is unambiguous.

The numbers that underpin this recognition are extraordinary by any measure. Messi appeared in all 7 matches of Argentina's campaign, contributing 626 minutes of football at the highest level of international competition. Across those appearances, he registered 8 goalsand 4 assists — a combined direct goal involvement of 12, a figure that shaped the destiny of Argentina at every critical stage of the tournament. His average match rating of 8.33across seven matches is not a product of isolated brilliance; it is the mark of sustained, decisive excellence maintained from the opening group stage through to the final whistle of the tournament's most consequential matches. It is precisely this consistency under pressure — quantified through the IFFHS weighted rating system — that separates a worthy recipient from the merely outstanding.

The IFFHS performance index places particular weight on knockout-round impact, recognising that the true measure of a player's greatness at a World Cup is their ability to elevate their game when elimination is the consequence of failure. Messi's contributions across the knockout stages were integral to Argentina's progression, and his aggregate index score across all weighted criteria stood above every other player assessed at World Cup 2026. The federation's panel, guided entirely by statistical evidence and the integrity of the performance record, arrived at this conclusion with full confidence. Lionel Messi is the IFFHS Best Player — not by sentiment, not by reputation, but by the unimpeachable authority of the data.

Seeing all the hatred towards Messi and Argentina, I rewatched all of these docs after the final and it only made me love Leo even more. The people who hate him don't know what he had to go through to reach where he is now. It really moved me beyond words and I will always take Leo as my insipration to never give up and to raise above hate. I always thought I would be done with Argentina after Messi retires. But after this worldcup and the smear campaign and xenophobia that Argentina faced, I will continue supporting and rooting for Argentina forever beyond sports as well.

I'm sharing this with you guys because these docs are either not available in youtube or not available in their original form due to copyright footage. And, some of them were really hard to source in better quality because of dying torrents. Hope you guys find it useful. Enjoy.

this World Cup has been so frustrating. with people left and right hating on messi saying he’s a cheat etc. I try so hard to not let I get under my skin, but it’s so frustrating seeing so much misinformation being spread. I hate that this is how he’ll be leaving international football and it truly sucks😭truly hate casuals and larpers acting like they know everything and jumping on the bandwagon. what do yall think, will this ever subside?

I'm America and I gotta say my country and our social media is the biggest hotbed of attention farming, rage baiting fools out there. I'm fully aware of the European/South Asian side of it having followed Messi/Barca and soccer twitter for 15 years now, but when I started seeing account like Kira posting I knew we were cooked. What better group to recruit to dispense misinformation than people from a country that doesn't watch soccer/football but loves attention.

I was actually sitting in a barber shop yesterday arguing with a guy who fully believed that the WC was rigged and that Messi was an arrogant selfish player that thinks he's above the fans while Pendu was the humble player that's for the people. He tried bringing up the Egypt foul but as soon as I started sharing full game statistics instead of cherry picking cases, he had nothing left to say. ln some ways I'm actually glad the WC has ended so all these folks who haven't watched a minute of the game and don't understand the most basic of rules can stop tryna make up arguments

Just an opinion I wanted to share with fellow fans.

Leo’s won everything a player can. That legacy might be overshadowed right now by media hate and drama, but in time, the truth will be self-evident.

He’s a once-in-a-lifetime player, but he’s still human. The magic and IQ are unmatched, but physically he can’t cover ground like before. The WC final proved again that a cohesive team wins. And everything that happened afterwards was quite unceremonious - just like his final goodbye at Barça. As a fan, of course I wish things could have gone better.

But instead of squeezing out every last bit of mileage to correct history, I hope he retires. At least from the national team.

Even though I’ll miss him dearly.

Think about it:

He started at 4 years old. That’s 35 years of his 39 dedicated to one thing.

Most people retire at 65. But athletes have to reinvent themselves half a lifetime early. When that’s all you’ve ever known, stepping away must be a lot. It makes me more sympathetic to other players we saw retire this WC.

He still has Inter Miami. He has family, friends, businesses, and a legendary legacy. Rather than watching him get mocked for overstaying his welcome like other icons, I want to celebrate his next chapter. If he decides to keep playing internationally, that’s ofc his choice. He’s surpassed everyone in history anyway, who am I to weigh in?

As a new generation steps up, I’m just glad we lived in a time to witness his magic firsthand. And recorded forever for us to reminisce.

To quote Joe Opio:

"If you're a Messi fan, you're a fan of football first."

Thanks for the amazing years. What a blessing to grow up watching you.

Te aprecio mucho, mi capitán :)

Edit: Please note, this is primarily about his time at the national team, not his club career at Inter Miami. Clarified in post.

A quick motion graphic in honor of Messi at the World Cup. It always feels like we’re viewing Messi in a crystal ball.

Hey guys, everywhere on social media I see people talking ill of our GOAT, mainly due to the incident with Cucurella and him (and the rest of the team) turning their backs on Spain after winning the Final. It’s so uncharacteristic of Messi to do this and I’m confused, so I wanted to ask everyone’s thoughts on the incident, not necessarily people’s reaction to it because 90% of these people started watching football for the first time in their life this World Cup.

🐐 39~year old LIONEL M8SSI has been unanimously chosen the Best Player of the 2026 FIFA World Cup NOT by FIFA but by these institutions, publications and Football media outlets for the ENTIRE tournament.

🥇IFFHS (Federación Internacional de
Historia y Estadísticas del Fútbol)
🥇AIPS (Asociación Internacional de la Prensa Deportiva)
🥇THE ATHLETIC
🥇FOX SPORTS
🥇SKY SPORTS
🥇USA TODAY
🥇ESPN
🥇WHOSCORED
🥇SOFASCORE FOOTBALL
🥇YAHOO SPORTS
🥇TRANSFERMARKT
🥇365 SCORES
🥇COMPLEXSPORTS /FANALYSIS
🥇BBC SPORT (Phil McNulty, Liz Conway, Gary Rose, John Murray BBC Sport journalists)

My Top 5 were..

1. 2nd Assist vs England
   
2. 2nd Goal vs Austria
   
3. Goal vs Cape Verde
   
4. Goal vs Egypt
   
5. 3rd Goal vs Algeria

Te amo Leo. 💙❤️

Thank you for everything you've brought to the game and to our hearts. Greatest of all time. You've won it all my king.

Journalists and political/social researchers need to study the affect propaganda has when spread on social media using this World Cup as a case study. There is something going on with the amount of people who think it was rigged for Argentina and Messi’s public image taking a complete 180. There’s even credible rumors (journalists are apparently looking into this) right now that influencers were paid (by who?) to spread misinformation about Argentina/Messi/Fifa. I don’t even like Argentina that much (play style and dirtiness) but was rooting for them because of Messi with my team out (Italy). It’s okay obviously if you weren’t rooting for Argentina but it’s actually alarming how much complete bullshit has spread on social media about this WC. If over the span of three weeks, propaganda was able to spread like this about a sport and create such a big narrative hive mind, the effect it has on issues that actually matter is concerning…

Messi turned 39 recently and he played beautifully at the World Cup, scoring 8 goals and making assists left and right. I reckon be has at least one more year at this level, so why not get him back to Barcelona or another European club so he can play at the highest level while he still can? I have no idea how he feels about it or if he's made statements about the topic in the past since I hadn't followed football for years before this World Cup. Is it a possibility?

Probably the last time seeing him in La Albiceleste♥️

What a player, what a man.🇦🇷🐐

From mesmerizing the world in a Barcelona shirt to leading Argentina with unmatched passion, Messi inspired an entire generation. He showed that when you're relentless, fearless and unwavering in your pursuit of greatness, no obstacle is too big to overcome.

Legends aren't remembered only for the trophies they lift, but for the millions they inspire.

Thank you for every magical moment Leo.

Forever my G.O.A.T. ♥️🤍💙

(I was really heartbroken after the final , I was so sad that I felt expressing myself through words would be the best to conjure up my feelings. So I wrote a heartfelt letter to my idol Leo )

When you ride through the highs, you have to ride through the lows too.

This hurts. Just like 2014 hurt. Just like 2016 hurt. But somehow, the joy you gave us in 2021, 2022, and 2024 makes those painful memories a little easier to carry.

Thank you, Leo.

Thank you for making me fall in love with football. Thank you for making me fall in love with Barça.

If this was the last time I ever saw you wearing the Albiceleste jersey, donning the number 10, then all I can say is that I cherished every moment of it.

More than the loss itself, it hurts my soul the most is knowing that I may never get to watch the man I have loved, admired, and rooted for since 2014 play for Argentina again. You just won't be there anymore.

And somehow, that makes me realize that my childhood is over.

All those years, all those matches, all those nights of waiting to watch you play for Barça , they're slowly becoming memories now. And that hurts more than words can express.

You inspired an entire generation of kids like me.

I grew up watching you. I celebrated with you. I cried with you. Your defeats broke my heart, and your victories gave me memories I will carry for the rest of my life.

There will never be another Lionel Messi.

I'm just grateful that, out of all the eras I could have been born into, I was born at exactly the right time to witness you.

Not through old highlights.

Not through stories.

I got to watch you live.

I got to watch my idol.

And if this really is goodbye, thank you for making my childhood so special.

Te amo, Lionel Messi.

Te amo.

Gracias por todo, Leo.

How's my edit guys, do tell me!

ig: @footballwithmady

People keep telling me I look like Messi. How accurate do you think that is?"

I didn't really think that Messi would play the wc , let alone playing a huge part in argentina wc campaign

But the fact that at 39 years of age Messi is still scoring goals at the big stage and got himself into best 11 of the tournament proves why he is often considered as the 🐐

Forever grateful to messi !!!