Lionel Messi wins award days after controversial FIFA World Cup Final
Lionel Messi has secured an honor just days after Argentina fell short in the FIFA World Cup Final against Spain.Last weekend witnessed the conclusion of the World Cup, with Spain defeating Argentina 1-0 in extra time courtesy of Ferran Torres' 106th-minute strike at MetLife Stadium. The final was tarnished, however, by Argentina's attempts to disrupt proceedings throughout, with Lionel Scaloni's team trying to undermine Spain's dominance through deliberate fouls at every turn.AdvertisementThey were also reduced to 10 men when Enzo Fernández received his marching orders for a second yellow card following his reckless and needless tackle on Spain's Pau Cubarsi in the 93rd minute. After the final whistle, the unsightly incidents persisted, with Leandro Paredes caught throwing punches at several Spain players, including Barcelona star Gavi, who has stated he doesn't wish to see the former suspended despite what occurred, via The Mirror US.Donald Trump sparks outrage with Harry Kane World Cup commentsArgentina World Cup Final red card rescinded, face potential FIFA disciplinary actionDuring the trophy presentation, Argentina also turned away from Spain, a gesture labeled as poor sportsmanship.Spain's World Cup triumph also resulted in its captain, Rodri, claiming the FIFA World Cup Golden Ball, an accolade presented to the competition's standout performer, and one Messi collected four years earlier after guiding Argentina to victory in Qatar.While Messi finished as runner-up on this occasion, he has now received recognition elsewhere, as the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) crowned the Argentina icon its 'Best Player.'Advertisement"The International Federation of Football History and Statistics is proud to announce that Lionel Messi of Argentina has been named the IFFHS Best Player, the highest individual honor bestowed by our federation upon the outstanding performer of the tournament," the organization said in a statement."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."To listen to the latest episode of 'All Out Soccer' - CLICK HEREMessi was in sensational form throughout the World Cup, registering eight goals and four assists across eight matches, posting an impressive average match rating of 8.33 from the IFFHS.AdvertisementThe 39-year-old produced moment after moment of brilliance during the tournament. This included a hat-trick in Argentina's opening fixture against Algeria before adding a brace against Austria.He then struck twice more in knockout-round games against Cape Verde and Egypt, while contributing two assists in Argentina's semifinal win against England. Yet without question, the prize Messi craved most this summer was a second World Cup title.Taking to Instagram following Argentina's defeat, Messi broke his silence, expressing pride in the journey he and his teammates had shared, while acknowledging that Sunday's Final result had left him deeply hurt."The pain is so great and it's going to be hard for me to close this wound. But I'll keep all the good stuff too," Messi wrote."With the matches we turned leaving everything and that will remain forever in the memory, with the support of an entire country that together with the work and effort of this group led us to be, once again, among the best in the world. Today it's hard to evaluate what we did, but this group reached two consecutive World Cup finals."AdvertisementHe added, "Thank you very much from the heart for every greeting and for every message. Once again we manage to unite as a country and be all together, sharing the immense pride of being Argentinian. I also want to congratulate Spain for the championship."
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