The world's biggest soccer festival has come to a close, leaving fans around the globe in awe. Along with it, legendary players who have captivated audiences for nearly two decades bid farewell to the FIFA World Cup stage with tears.
The player who garnered the most attention in this farewell was Lionel Messi of Argentina, often referred to as the 'God of Soccer.' Messi scored eight goals and provided four assists during the tournament, leading Argentina to the finals once again. He also set numerous records, including the most appearances in World Cup history with 34 matches and the highest total of goal contributions (33: 21 goals and 12 assists).
However, his dream of a perfect farewell was thwarted at the final hurdle. Argentina, aiming for back-to-back championships after their victory in the 2022 Qatar World Cup, faced Spain in the final on July 20 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, where they lost 1-0 after extra time. At 39 years and 25 days old, Messi became the oldest field player to appear in a World Cup final but struggled against Spain's intense pressure, failing to record a single shot in 90 minutes, leaving him with a deep sense of regret.
Messi missed out not only on the championship trophy but also on individual accolades. The Golden Ball for the tournament's best player went to Rodri of Spain, while the Golden Boot for top scorer was awarded to Kylian Mbappé of France, who netted 10 goals and provided four assists.
After the match, Messi embraced Ramin Yamal, a promising young player born in 2007 whom he had bathed as a baby. With a silver medal around his neck, Messi shed tears as he concluded his World Cup journey.
Messi's eternal rival, Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal, also exited the tournament with disappointment. Ronaldo scored three goals in five matches, making history as the first player to score in six consecutive World Cups. However, Portugal was eliminated in the Round of 16, losing 1-0 to Spain.
Ronaldo expressed his sadness, stating, "I am sad to leave the World Cup this way," but added, "I gave it my all and leave with a sense of relief."
Croatian midfielder Luka Modrić also departed the World Cup stage he cherished. He set a record for the fourth-most international appearances (200) during the group stage match against Panama and broke the record for the oldest assist in World Cup history (40 years and 291 days) in the match against Ghana. However, Croatia was eliminated in the Round of 32, losing 2-1 to Portugal, marking the end of his fifth World Cup journey.
Brazilian star Neymar's farewell was also marked by tears. After recovering from injury, he returned for the group stage match against Scotland but could not prevent a 2-1 loss to Norway in the Round of 16, collapsing on the field in tears. After the match, Neymar announced his retirement from international play, saying, "I did my best. Now it's over."
South Korea's captain Son Heung-min looked ahead to the future. The South Korean team finished the group stage with one win and two losses, failing to advance to the knockout stage. However, Son publicly expressed his determination to continue playing for the national team, leaving the door open for his participation in the next World Cup.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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