Lionel Messi etched his name in football history on Sunday (July 19) by becoming only the second player ever to feature in three FIFA World Cup finals. The 39-year-old Argentine superstar is playing in his third World Cup final on Sunday as Argentina take on Spain in the summit clash of 2026 edition at the New York New Jersey Stadium.
Spain vs Argentina FIFA World Cup 2026 Final
Messi previously appeared in the FIFA World Cup finals against Germany in 2014 at the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro and against France in the 2022 final at Lusail Stadium in Qatar.
Before Messi, only former Brazil captain Cafu had played in three FIFA World Cup finals. The legendary right-back represented Brazil in the finals of the 1994, 1998 and 2002 editions against
Italy, France and Germany respectively.
Players to feature in 3 FIFA World Cup finals
| PLAYER | COUNTRY | EDITION | AGAINST | RESULT | SCORELINE | VENUE | DATE |
| Cafu | Brazil | 1994 | Italy | Win | 0-0 (3-2 in penalties) | Rose Bowl, Pasadena | July 17, 1994 |
| 1998 | France | Loss | 0-3 | Stade de France, Saint-Denis | July 12, 1998 | ||
| 2002 | Germany | Win | 2-0 | International Stadium, Yokohama | June 30, 2002 | ||
| Lionel Messi | Argentina | 2014 | Germany | Loss | 0-1 (AET) | Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro | July 13, 2014 |
| 2022 | France | Win | 3-3 (4-2 in penalties) | Lusail Stadium, Lusail | December 18, 2022 | ||
| 2026* | Spain | New York New Jersey Stadium | July 19, 2026 |
However, Messi has achieved another unique milestone by becoming the first player in history to start three FIFA World Cup finals. Cafu started the 1998 and 2002 finals but came on as a first-half substitute during Brazil’s 1994 final against Italy at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
Messi is also captaining Argentina in the 2026 final, having previously led La Albiceleste in the 2014 and 2022 finals. He is now the first and only player to captain a team in three FIFA World Cup finals. Football greats such as Diego Maradona, Dunga and Hugo Lloris captained their nations in two World Cup finals, but none managed to do so on three occasions.
Players to captain their team to back-to-back FIFA World Cup finals
| PLAYER | COUNTRY | FINAL 1 (EDITION) | RESULT | FINAL 2 (EDITION) | RESULT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karl-Heinz Rummenigge | West Germany | Italy (1982) | Loss (1-3) | Argentina (1986) | Loss (2-3) |
| Diego Maradona | Argentina | West Germany (1986) | Win (3-2) | West Germany (1990) | Loss (0-1) |
| Dunga | Brazil | Italy (1994) | Win (2-3 in penalties) | France (1998) | Loss (0-3) |
| Hugo Lloris | France | Croatia (2018) | Win (4-2) | Argentina (2022) | Loss (2-4 in penalties) |
| Lionel Messi | Argentina | France (2022) | Win (4-2 in penalties) | Spain (2026) | – |
The Argentine icon has enjoyed another stellar World Cup campaign, scoring eight goals in seven matches. If Messi finds the net against Spain, he will become the first Argentine player to score nine goals in a single FIFA World Cup edition.
At present, he is tied with Guillermo Stábile, who scored eight goals for Argentina during the inaugural FIFA World Cup in 1930.
Most goals in one edition of FIFA World Cup for Argentina
| PLAYER | EDITION | GOALS |
| Guillermo Stábile | 1930 | 8 |
| Lionel Messi | 2026 | 8* |
| Lionel Messi | 2022 | 7 |
| Mario Kempes | 1978 | 6 |
| Diego Maradona | 1986 | 5 |
| Gabriel Batistuta | 1998 | 5 |
Messi has also taken his overall World Cup tally to 21 goals in 34 matches. One goal in the final would see him equal Kylian Mbappe’s all-time record of 22 FIFA World Cup goals, while a brace would make him the outright highest goalscorer in World Cup history.
