Lionel Messi continues to make history, and following Argentina’s advancement to the World Cup final against Spain, he is poised to achieve yet another remarkable feat.

The captain of the “Albiceleste” will play in the third World Cup final of his career, joining an extremely exclusive club of players who have reached the tournament’s final three times.

Messi’s first final was in 2014 in Brazil, when Argentina lost 1-0 in extra time to Germany. The second came in Qatar in 2022, where he led his country’s national team to victory over France in one of the greatest finals of all time.

Now, in 2026, he will have the opportunity to compete for yet another World Cup title against European champion Spain. To date, the only soccer player to have started in all three World Cup finals of his career is the legendary Cafu. The Brazilian played in the 1994, 1998, and 2002 finals, winning the trophy twice.

The list of players who have participated in three finals also includes great names such as Pelé, Ronaldo Nazário, Lothar Matthäus, and Pierre Littbarski; however, they did not play in all three matches, either due to injury or because they remained on the bench.

*photo source: AP