Messi adds to his legacy: He will tie Cafú for the most World Cup finals played

After defeating France and England, respectively, in the semifinals, Spain and Argentina will face off in the final of the 2026 World Cup this Sunday, July 19, at NYNJ Stadium (MetLife Stadium). Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the match will feature the player widely regarded as the greatest soccer player in history, Lionel Messi, who has the opportunity to set a new milestone that will further cement his legacy.

In fact, as long as he spends even a single second on the field, Messi will tie the record in his remarkable career. As soon as the referee signals the start of the match, the Argentine star will match the record held by Brazilian soccer legend Cafú, the only player to have appeared in three World Cup finals.

There are four other players. the Brazilians Pelé and Ronaldo Nazario, and the Germans Lothar Matthäus and Pierre Littbarski, who were named to their national teams' rosters for three finals, but none of them actually played a single second in any of them.

After suffering defeat at the hands of Germany in Brazil 2014 and achieving glory in Qatar 2022, Messi is preparing to defend the Albiceleste's title. The Argentine captain arrives at this tournament after making history in North America, where he became the player with the most World Cup appearances and where he set the record for playing in six World Cups, a mark he shares with Cristiano Ronaldo and Guillermo Ochoa.

Messi's journey at the 2026 World Cup

Despite having the opportunity to defend their title and add a third star to their crest, Argentina has faced many doubts throughout the 2026 World Cup. But that's when Messi stepped up to lead his team to victory and secure a spot as one of the two finalists set to face off on the field at NYNJ Stadium this Sunday.

To date, Messi leads the race for the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot. Although he has the same number of goals (eight) as Kylian Mbappé, the number of assists he has provided (four) means that, at this point, he is the one set to win this individual award rather than the French captain.

Of the eight goals he has scored, six came in the group stage. The Argentine "No. 10" got off to the best possible start in the 2026 World Cup: a hat trick against Algeria, a brace against Austria and a goal against Jordan. Once the knockout stage began, he had to maintain his top form.

Faced with serious challenges from Cape Verde in the Round of 32, Egypt in the Round of 16 and Switzerland in the quarterfinals, Messi was decisive, adding two more goals and providing two assists.

Against England in the semifinals, the Argentine star didn't find the back of the net, but he was essential with two assists to Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez, who scored the goals that secured Argentina's victory.

At 39 years old, all signs point to the final against Spain at NYNJ Stadium this Sunday being his last World Cup match, as he has already hinted. He will have the opportunity to put the perfect finishing touch on his career with the Albiceleste, which he has already led to one World Cup title (2022) and two Copa América titles (2021 and 2024).