Messi is looking forward to his second title

If Lionel Messi leads Argentina back to global glory by defeating Spain in the World Cup final at MetLife Stadium in suburban New York, he could put an end to any debate about whether he is the greatest player of all time, in the very place where, a decade ago, he tearfully announced the end of his international career. Messi, who turned 29 in June 2016, was already considered one of the greatest players of all time, having won the Ballon d'Or five times and led Barcelona to their fourth Champions League title the previous year. But his phenomenal club success has not been matched by international success, as Argentina has suffered three defeats in major tournament finals. The first came against Brazil in the 2007 Copa America final. Between that loss and the 2014 final, Argentina were eliminated twice in the World Cup quarterfinals and also exited the 2011 Copa America, which they hosted, in the quarterfinals against Uruguay.