Argentina's World Cup defence ended in a 1-0 defeat to Spain in the final, with Lionel Messi's farewell appearance on football's biggest stage failing to produce a fairytale finish. Once the tournament's most entertaining side, Argentina lost their spark against a Spanish team that gradually took control, ultimately breaking through in extra time. The result matters because it caps Messi's international career without a second successive World Cup win, even as his broader legacy remains untouched by the loss.

Spain smothered Argentina defensively throughout, with a subdued first half giving way to greater Spanish control after the break. Argentina became the first team in the World Cup's near century-long history to fail to register a single shot in regular time of a final, and they created no clear chances even after 30 additional minutes. Messi himself had little influence on proceedings, closely marked out of the game, while his teammates were seen to resort to underhand and desperate tactics as the match slipped away.