The World Cup final, the match for his second star, once again separates Lionel Messi from glory. What he achieved in Qatar, can be repeated again in New York. Another final for him. So far, he has won the last four finals in which he has played with Argentina, the 2022 World Cup, the 2020 and 2024 Copa America, as well as the “Finalissima”. Before these finals, he had lost four others, three in the 2007, 2015 and 2016 Copa America, as well as the 2014 World Cup. That is, four wins out of eight in total, with an average success rate of 50 percent. The 2026 World Cup final takes place on Sunday from 21:00 p.m. in New Jersey.
His statistics with the Argentine national team are weaker than his statistics at club level. His brilliant period at Barcelona resulted in 30 victories in the 43 finals matches he played in. That's an average success rate of 69 percent. Messi's efficiency in finals is very high, but not infallible.
For this reason, Leo is looking at all the superstitions that can help him repeat the success. The word superstition is the most used in the Argentine camp in recent days. It is about not changing anything that has helped them in previous tournaments, which ended with titles.
In Messi's case, this has become almost an obsession. On social media, for example, he only copies the same texts in the posts he made in Qatar in 2022, where he finally won the trophy. He believes that it is the best way to communicate and express himself to people, when he broke the barrier that allowed him to become champion again.
Argentina, led by Messi, has returned to the same hotel that brought them luck in the last edition of the Copa America in 2024, writes Spanish newspaper AS. Argentina defeated Canada 2-0 in the semi-finals, while winning against Colombia 1-0 in extra time.
It's the Hilton Shorts Hills hotel in New Jersey.
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The Argentines' superstitions go even deeper. The players are positioned exactly as they were last time, and each room has the same number for each player. Messi, of course, is in his own room. They stand in exactly the same way that brought them luck two years ago at the Copa America, which they won.
In all the finals he has played in, Messi has scored 35 goals and provided 17 assists, good statistics for a player who is usually decisive in the matches that decide trophies. With Barcelona, he has won 23 trophies out of the 31 finals the club has reached.
He is not as decisive with Argentina. In the World Cup, he has a 50 percent success rate, having lost in 2014 to Germany, while winning the 2022 final. In the current tournament in New York, he could win the last trophy of his career, at least with the Argentine national team.
