Distraught Lionel Messi bursts into tears as his World Cup career ends in heartbreak after brutal loss to Spain

A heartbroken Lionel Messi burst into tears on the pitch after collecting his runners-up medal in what will almost certainly be his final ever World Cup appearance.

The Argentina captain – who spent most of his career playing in Barcelona – was ineffectual against Spain in the New Jersey showdown as his team failed to find the net in 120 minutes.

The tournament in America was almost certainly Messi’s final international bow, and his emotional full-time reaction went some way to confirming that.

When the full-time whistle blew, he dropped to the ground and held his hands to his face, inconsolable by his teammates and opponents alike.

After gathering himself to collect his runners-up medal, the emotions of the moment became too much for the sport’s greatest-of-all-time as he burst into tears just minutes before Spain lifted the trophy.

Messi’s career will continue with Inter Miami but he is unlikely to play at the highest level again for his country, given he will be 43 when the next World Cup takes place.

Messi was appearing in his third World Cup final, four years after he lifted the trophy for his country in Qatar.

His first time in the biggest game of them all came in 2014 in Brazil, when he and his countrymen were beaten in extra-time by Germany.

It was the same result for the heartbroken Messi on Sunday, as Spain’s Ferran Torres scored the only goal of the game deep into the additional 30-minute period.

More to follow.