Barcelona and Spain legend Carles Puyol has hailed Lionel Messi after La Roja's FIFA World Cup final win against Argentina. The former defender has claimed that La Albiceleste reached the final only because of their skipper's heroics.
Puyol has claimed that football will always be grateful to the Argentine maestro who has won eight Ballon d'Ors. The former Barcelona captain, who shared the pitch with Lionel Messi on 269 occasions, said, as quoted by DAZN Espana:
Lionel Messi enjoyed a phenomenal 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign for Argentina and was key to their run to the final. The Argentine skipper scored eight goals and provided four assists in eight games throughout the tournament.
Despite his heroics, the 39-year-old could not inspire his country to another FIFA World Cup win. Spain completely outplayed Lionel Scaloni's side and secured a 1-0 win in extra time.
Spain controlled the game from start to finish, recording 65% possession and a total of 20 shots. They had 32 touches inside the opposition's penalty box, but lacked the killer instinct in front of the goal. Substitute Ferran Torres scored the only goal of the game in the 106th minute after Spain had a goal controversially disallowed in the 96th minute.
Lionel Scaloni hopes Argentina fans will be proud of what Lionel Messi produced for them at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Argentine manager hailed the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner as the greatest player in the history of the game.
Scaloni singled out his captain for praise following the Albiceleste's 1-0 defeat against Spain in the World Cup final. He said:
Lionel Messi is widely regarded as one of the greatest players ever and is also the most decorated footballer in the history of the game. He has produced incredible numbers in the 2026 World Cup, even at the age of 39.
If not for Messi's eight goals and four assists in eight games, Argentina would not have made their second consecutive World Cup final. He has already won the FIFA World Cup once, the Copa America twice and the Finalissima once for Argentina.
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