ARGENTINA NEVER WAS BEST TEAM AFTER ALL

 Not even the great LIONEL MESSI could rescue defending champion Argentina 

from defeat in the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Sunday.

Messi’s tournament magic ended when favored Spain turned a game-long defensive 

lockdown into a 1-0 decision that was more one-sided than the final score would 

indicate.

How one-sided was it?

Well, depending on which official source you care to believe, Spain held the 

heretofore South American juggernaut anywhere from two shots on goal – all in the 

second of two 15-minute overtime periods – to none. That is correct NONE as in 

zero, zilch, nada, hard as it is to believe ... BELIEVE IT … while UNAI SIMON, in 

goal for Spain, was pitching his seventh shutout in eight games, allowing only one 

goal (to Belgium in the quarterfinals). 

Had it not been for EMELIANO MARTINEZ, there would have been no need for 

extra time. Playing with a broken ring finger on his right hand, the veteran Argentine 

goalie set a championship match record with 11 saves, few of the easy variety.

Martinez finally ran out of heroics – officially in the 106^th minute -- when Ferran 

Torres scored his only goal of the event, held every four years to ostensibly 

determine THE champion in what unquestionably is THE world’s biggest sport. With 

Martinez scrambling to keep Spain from claiming its second Cup and out of position, 

Torres quickly ended Argentina’s bid to become the first team since 1952 to record 

back-to-back titles. 

Until then, although badly outplayed, Argentina, which had come from behind to 

stave off defeat in four of its previous seven games, still had some hope of pulling 

this one out … before a crowd of 80,000-plus at MetLife Stadium in East 

Rutherford, N.J.

“Argentina is like a villain in a horror movie … even though they are dead, they are 

not dead … yet,” said Fox commentator ALEXI LALAS.

With 15 minutes left before the match went to penalty kicks to determine a winner (if 

still tied), the Argentines were a man shy after ENZO FERNANDEZ was sent off 

with a red card for picking up his second yellow with a vicious hit that sent defender

 PAU CABARSI flying. 

Spain quickly took advantage – or so it seemed – when Martinez came out to handle 

a loose ball … and when he didn’t, NICO WILLIAMS scored what appeared to be 

the go-ahead goal … that was waved off when video reply showed teammate

 MIKEL MERINO stepped on defenderNICOLAS OTAMENDI to make it 

possible.

“Absolutely the right call,” said STU HOLDEN on Fox. 

As usual, at least for a half, Argentina seemed more interested in playing a physical 

style, which hardly bothered Spain. Messi, who usually lets teammates handle the 

rough stuff, was guilty of a cheap shot or two that went uncalled.

But, when futbol’s G.O.A.T was victimized himself shortly before his teammate was 

sent off for an obvious foul (that probably deserved a red card on its own) … and 

referee SLAVKO VINCICwould have none of it ...Messi went off on Vincic as did 

his coach, LIONEL SCALONI, who got a yellow card for his trouble.

In the end, Argentina got little sympathy from soccer veterans such as former goalie 

for England JOE HART who said, “They had no complaints about what happened,” 

calling what he saw from the three-time champions “disgusting behavior.”

Argentina’s LEANDRO PAREDES, in particular, was singled out for scraps with 

(among others) RODRI, defensive midfielder named the 104-game tournament’s 

best player over such offensive standouts as France’s KILYAN MBAPPE who led 

all goal scorers with 12 (two more than Messi) while extending his personal all-time 

record for Cup goals to 22 – and counting.

Paredes also was red-carded for initiating a post-game dustup, described by over-

zealous on-lookers as “a brawl.” WAYNE ROONEY, former Manchester United 

and English team scoring star, called it “embarrassing.”

You want embarrassing? Consider Spain allowed eight teams a total of eight shots on 

goal among them, with only one going in … yet had to settle for 0-0 in its opening 

match with Cape Verde, making its Cup debut in the expanded field, going from 32 

to 48 teams for the first time.