Anna Kournikova Shares Photo of 3 Children Celebrating Spain's World Cup Win

Q: After this heartbreaking World Cup final loss, will Lionel Messi finally announce his international retirement?

No—at least not yet. As of July 21, 2026, Lionel Messi has not officially announced his retirement from international football after Argentina’s 1-0 World Cup final loss to Spain. The speculation is understandable. Messi, 39, was subdued in the final, Argentina were beaten in their bid to defend the title, and his post-match Instagram message was emotional and reflective. Reports also noted his “The Last Tango” cleats and farewell-like wording, which intensified talk that this may have been his last World Cup match. But there is still no formal decision on the record. Messi did not publicly declare retirement after the game, and coach Lionel Scaloni said he had not yet discussed the matter with him. That makes any immediate retirement claim premature. His history also matters. After the 2016 Copa América final loss, Messi announced his international retirement and then reversed it weeks later. That precedent suggests caution before treating emotional post-match signals as definitive. What does seem likely is that his World Cup career is over. Messi had already indicated before the tournament that 2026 would probably be his last World Cup, and playing on to 2030 at age 43 appears highly unlikely. The more realistic question is whether he continues with Argentina through the 2028 Copa América before stepping away. So the best answer is this: Messi may retire from international football soon, but after this final he has not announced it, and any decision remains unresolved.

3 articles · Updated · E! NEWS · Jul 21

July 20 brought a rare family glimpse as Anna Kournikova posted an Instagram photo of Lucy and Nicholas, 8, and Mary, 6, in Spain jerseys after Spain beat Argentina in the July 19 World Cup final.
Nicholas appeared to shout "Goal!" in the picture, underscoring the family's connection to Spain through Enrique Iglesias, who has long described the World Cup as a top personal priority.
Romeo, the couple's fourth child born in December 2025, was not shown; Kournikova and Iglesias have kept the 7-month-old largely out of public view.
That post fits a broader pattern of tightly controlled family sharing, with Kournikova revealing Romeo's name in March and Iglesias posting a backyard video with the baby in one of only a few recent updates.