After winning the title in Qatar 2022, Lionel Messi is back in a World Cup final with the opportunity to achieve an unprecedented milestone in international football.
If Argentina defeats Spain at MetLife Stadium, the Rosario native will not only add his second world championship but will also set a unique record: becoming the first captain to lead his national team to two World Cup victories.
Throughout the history of the World Cup, there have been dominant teams and players who have won multiple titles, but none have managed to repeat the feat while wearing the captain's armband in both victories.
The record Messi is pursuing has stood for decades, even against the greatest legends of football. Pelé, the all-time World Cup winner with three titles (1958, 1962, and 1970), was never the captain of Brazil in those victories, so he could not establish this record.
On the other hand, Diego Armando Maradona came very close to achieving it. After lifting the Cup as captain in Mexico 1986, he reached the final again in Italy 1990 in the same leadership role, although the defeat against West Germany prevented him from achieving back-to-back championships.
The Argentine National Team faces the final with the possibility of defending the title obtained in Qatar and adding the fourth star in its history.
The team led by Lionel Scaloni arrives after eliminating England in the semifinals, while Spain seeks to win its second World Cup after knocking out France.
