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Lionel Messi continues to expand his place in world football history. After Argentina qualified for the 2026 World Cup final, where they will face Spain, the Albiceleste captain is ready to add another major achievement to his remarkable career.
The 39-year-old superstar will play in his third World Cup final of his career, an achievement that places him in a very limited group of footballers who have reached the decisive match of football's biggest tournament three times.
His first final was at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where Argentina were defeated 1-0 by Germany after extra time.
Eight years later, in Qatar 2022, Messi led Argentina to win the third World Cup in its history, after defeating France in a final that is now considered one of the best of all time.
Now, at the 2026 World Cup, he will aim for his second personal trophy against European champions Spain, having the opportunity to write another golden chapter in his career.
To date, the only player to have started in all three World Cup finals he has participated in is Brazilian legend Cafu. The defender was part of Brazil's starting line-up in the 1994, 1998 and 2002 finals, winning the trophy twice.
The list of players with three World Cup final appearances includes legendary names such as Pele, Ronaldo Nazário, Lothar Matthäus and Pierre Littbarski. However, none of them started in all three finals, having either started on the bench or missed one due to injury.
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