The men’s World Cup Final is the biggest spectacle there is in sports.
Billions of people watch it every four years because, well, everyone wants to see who will stand at the top of the planet’s soccer landscape, a.k.a. human civilization’s most popular sport.
Advertisement
That’s what makes the legendary Lionel Messi reaching Sunday’s World Cup Final between Argentina and Spain so special. He is widely considered the best player of all time, making it fitting that his last international game for Argentina will come in the most important game in sports. By reaching his third final in six years, Messi also joins a rather exclusive club. He is only the sixth player in the history of men’s soccer to appear in at least three finals, which is crazy to consider when noting that the World Cup only happens every four years.
You really have to stand the test of time and have a lot of longevity as a player just to have a chance at three final appearances. Here’s a full, short list of all six players to appear in at least three World Cup Finals, now including Messi.
In order, they are as follows:
-
Pelé, Brazil (1958, 1962, 1970)
-
Lothar Matthäus and Pierre Littbarski, Germany (1982, 1986, 1990)
-
Cafu and Ronaldo, Brazil (1994, 1998, 2002)
-
Lionel Messi, Argentina (2014, 2022, 2026)
Advertisement
Kylian Mbappé is the most likely candidate. The 26-year-old French superstar has already played in two World Cup Finals in his career. Given France’s status as a perennial heavyweight in the soccer world, it stands to reason that Mbappé will get a chance for at least one more World Cup Final appearance.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: All 6 players to appear in 3 World Cup Finals, now including Lionel Messi
