Former India cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly has stepped forward to defend the legacy of Lionel Messi following Argentina's heartbreaking 1-0 extra-time defeat to Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final. The match, held on Sunday, July 19, in New Jersey, saw Argentina fall short in their bid to become the first team in 64 years to successfully defend their World Cup title.
During the final, the 39-year-old Messi struggled to make an impact, failing to record a single touch inside the Spanish penalty area. The loss also brought an end to his remarkable 11-game streak of goal contributions in the World Cup, as well as Argentina's 13-game winning streak in the competition. Spain’s victory marked a historic moment, as they became the seventh different nation to win the tournament twice.
Despite the disappointment of the final, Ganguly insisted that Messi's status as an all-time great should not be tarnished by one match. Speaking on the matter, Ganguly stated, “Lionel Messi’s legacy should never be judged on the basis of a single match. We must always remember that he is a human being, and no one performs at the same level every day. There will be off days. Evaluating his entire career based on one final or one performance is simply unfair.”
The match also had implications for individual honors, as Messi missed out on securing his first FIFA World Cup Golden Boot. Entering the final, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner needed a hat-trick to surpass France’s Kylian Mbappe, who had finished his campaign with 10 goals and four assists across eight matches. However, after failing to score for the third consecutive game, Messi remained behind Mbappe, who solidified his place as the competition's most prolific scorer with 22 goals in 22 matches across three editions, compared to Messi's tally.
But the holders came up short against a brilliant La roja side.The 39-year-old didn't manage a touch inside the La Roja box as he also saw his record streak of 11 games with a goal contribution in the Wolrd Cup.Nevertheless, Ganguly reckons despite Messi failing to win a second World Cup final in three appearances, the Argentine remains a class act and can't be judged on one poor game (as per News18): “Lionel Messi’s legacy should never be judged on the basis of a single match.
