Messi branded 'baby' after World Cup final incident sparks debate

Lionel Messi was described as "a baby" by ITV commentator Lee Dixon following a contentious incident during the 2026 FIFA World Cup final in New York. The Argentina captain approached referee Slavko Vincic to report Spain defender Marc Cucurella for communicating with him while covering his mouth, an action that carries a potential sending-off under tournament regulations.

The incident occurred in the immediate aftermath of Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez’s red card for a second yellow card. With the score level and Argentina reduced to ten men, Messi sought to have Cucurella penalised for the interaction. Dixon, a former England defender, reacted strongly to the appeal during the broadcast, stating: "You shouldn’t be such a baby to try and get someone sent off for that, it’s ridiculous."

Dixon further argued that issuing bookings or red cards for such interactions would fundamentally undermine the integrity of the game. The precedent for such a sending-off was established earlier in the tournament when Paraguay’s Miguel Almiron was dismissed for communicating with opposition players while hiding his mouth.

Spain ultimately secured their second men’s World Cup title with a 1-0 victory in extra time. Substitute Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal, capping a dominant performance by the European side. Argentina, the reigning champions, struggled to create meaningful opportunities, registering zero touches in the Spanish box during the entire first half and only their first shot of the match in the 118th minute.

The match marked a significant milestone for Messi, who became the first man to start three World Cup finals. Aged 39, he finished the tournament with eight goals, securing the Silver Boot behind France’s Kylian Mbappe, who claimed the Golden Boot with ten goals. Spain’s Rodri was named the tournament’s best player, receiving the Golden Ball ahead of Messi’s Silver Ball.