Spain win the World Cup. A win for football? Maybe. Messi leaves empty-handed. Argentina turn their backs at the end. Records broken. Reputations made. One last World Cup chat before we get back to normal. Issue 117. Go.

Just like in 2010, Spain have won the World Cup final and just like in South Africa 16 years ago, they won against an opponent that finished the game not only one goal down but also a player less.

John Heitinga given his marching orders in Johannesburg, Andres Iniesta scoring not long after. Enzo Fernandez sent off for two yellow cards in the 2026 final, Ferran Torres breaking the deadlock in extra-time.

Admittedly the 2026 final was not as brutal in terms of ill-discipline as its 2010 counterpart but the plan was still largely the same in order to try and stop Spain from coming out on top.

A plan that was to rough up La Roja on the field, a plan that spectacularly backfired on both occasions. The anti-football brigade foiled again as Spain secure the second Men’s World Cup success.

Were they the best team in the tournament? From an accolade perspective, then obviously yes. From a stylistic perspective, then perhaps not but then again you don’t get points for artistic merit when it matters most.

What does matter most is the fact that Spain conceded just a single goal across eight matches. That’s 750+ minutes of football and just a single occasion when Unai Simon had his goal breached - the 2-1 win over Belgium serving as the only blot.

Aside from that aspect, you would have to say that defence was the best form of attack but that is not to say that Spain were playing a brand of ultra-conservative football in North America.

Instead, it was a case of knowing that with such a defensive fortress in place, a single goal could be all the difference and that was exactly the difference in both the Round of 16 and Sunday itself.

Not only that, but even when needing a single goal, it’s not as if they were unable to pepper the opposition goal. You only need to look at Sunday’s headline stats as evidence of this:

Two shots across 120 minutes and even they did not appear until late into the second period of extra-time, not a single shot on target to trouble Simon’s goal frame. Lionel Messi was all but anonymous.

Which leads me to…

Of the last four World Cup final matches that have been contested, Argentina have played in three of them. Lionel Messi has been front and centre of that trio, he has only won one of them.

Not a bad return for any player but at the end of the day, Messi is far from any player. Far from that, he is the best to ever do it (sorry Cristiano Ronaldo supporters) and maybe Argentina needed a bit more from him at the MetLife Stadium.

Much had been made of his walking football style in North America but it was a style that was still largely effective. It left three England players dumbfounded when trying to win possession, we all saw what he can do when landing crosses into the box.

Scorer turned supplier against Thomas Tuchel’s side, he needed to turn back to what he does best on Sunday night. Is that Lionel Scaloni’s fault in terms of game plan or the lack thereof or is it simply a case of one game too many for the former Barcelona icon?

The answer to that question we may never really know as Messi himself would believe he still has enough to offer but father time does come for us all in the end, with the clock ticking at 39 that may have been his last ever World Cup encounter.

He will be 43 by the time the 2030 edition of the tournament comes around and although nothing is impossible, there needs to be a time when even the very best have to say enough is enough.

There was humility at the final whistle, followed by visible sadness when Spain collected their winners’ medals in New Jersey, maybe that was the moment when the end truly dawned on the Inter Miami forward.

If it’s not to be the end, then the Copa America is two years down the line, that puts Messi at 41, if he wants to continue then there may be a way to get him to the start of the 2030 World Cup.

Picture this:

Argentina will get one game as part of their hosting duties, what if Messi was still playing and represented la Albiceleste in that encounter. A testimonial of sorts and a final World Cup send-off on home soil. It’s not the strangest idea, put it that way.

I’m sure that we’ve all seen this picture by now:

If you hadn’t before, then you must have been living under a rock for the past few months as the image of Lionel Messi bathing Lamine Yamal back in 2007 has been doing the rounds on the internet.

A fascinating story when you think about it, Yamal’s family win a competition run by UNICEF (Barcelona’s sponsors at the time) to be part of a photoshoot with Barcelona squad members, the pairing with Messi nothing more than completely at random.

Who could have predicted then that they would play in a World Cup final against each other 19 years later. If you did, then I would like you to send me this weekend’s Lottery numbers once you’ve read this.

Whether the 2026 World Cup final can be considered as the direct passing of the baton from Messi and Yamal can be argued, had the latter scored the winning goal then the link would be stronger.

But at the same time, there is absolutely no doubt that the stage is now set for Barcelona's newest crown prince, with the superstar era feeling more equitable when it comes to the handing out of top accolades. Yamal could be in position to scoop the lot.

Already with a World Cup, European Championship and La Liga titles under his belt before the age of 20 - more importantly, he only turned 19 last week, the only thing left to collect is a Champions League title and there is plenty of time to add a couple of those.

There’s plenty of time to add further success on the international stage, don’t forget that Spain won a European Championship either side of their 2010 World Cup success, repeating the feat at Euro 2028 already looks part of the equation.

Cupping his ears after scoring Argentina’s equaliser against England, blocking his ears to the cheers after being sent off in Sunday’s World Cup final. What a 96-hour window it was for Enzo Fernandez.

And in true Enzo style, he has now smashed that glass. No sooner had he booted Pau Cubarsi up in the air, he is in the limelight once more. How, you ask? A rather misplaced statement from the Chelsea midfielder is how:

I mean you only have to look at Argentina’s behaviour at the final whistle to know that Fernandez has obviously been viewing his and his teammates’ efforts through a completely different lens.

Must be nice to be on his planet, he’ll get a rude awakening if he’s still at Chelsea after the summer and is at an away ground near you. Let’s just say the welcoming is going to be far from hospitable.

Raise your hand if you decided to ignore England’s Bronze play-off with France on Saturday?

Yes, I must admit I am one of the guilty party, although I did manage to watch the highlights spoiler-free the next morning and I must admit, I thoroughly enjoyed Didier Deschamps’ testimonial.

Maybe this goes to show what happens when the pressure is off for both sides, it felt like the football equivalent of end of term at times. You can cast your mind back to West Brom 5-5 Manchester United for Sir Alex Ferguson’s last game as another example.

A game that did not matter a great deal in the grand scheme of things, England and France still losing semi-finalists regardless of the outcome but at least there was a slight upturn in mood for the Three Lions. Even if you then thought ‘what if?’

Remember back in 2002 when Brazil had the feared attacking trio of Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Rivaldo.

Well now in 2026, it’s Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Madonna.

You can make your own conclusion about the half-time show

No sooner had the World Cup finished than the football world was hit with the sad news of Kevin Keegan’s passing. Aged 75, the former Newcastle and England manager made an indelible mark on the game for so many people.

Not only for the way he managed Newcastle in the early 1990s but also in the way he was so humble when you consider everything he won as a player and it is fair to say that he won an incredible amount.

A pioneer in moving abroad to Hamburg in the late 1970s, he was also a pioneer when it came to leading the team labelled as ‘the entertainers’ by the British footballing press. Newcastle may not have won anything but they won plenty of neutrals’ hearts.

While it was Keegan who captured an army of Geordie hearts not only during his stint as a forward in the 1980s but also his two spells as a manager. He felt like a saviour in both instances, his love for the club never declining after his departure.

A man who espoused free-flowing football and the game as a whole was better for it. His loss feels like part of your youth going with it but it was a youth that was made all the brighter after watching his first Newcastle side in action.

Kevin Keegan 1951 - 2026

Now that the World Cup has come to a close. I wanted to take a moment to ask for your help.

The Real Football Filter has now reached Issue 117.

That is more than a year of publishing twice a week, analysing the money, media, performance and power shaping the modern game.

The biggest challenge has not been finding things to write about. Football, thankfully, continues to provide endless stories.

The challenge has been making sure more people find it.

So if you have enjoyed reading, whether it is the first issue you have opened or you have been here since the beginning, I would really appreciate you sharing it with someone who you think would enjoy it.

Not because numbers are everything, but because the best newsletters grow through recommendation.

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