The Indiana Fever’s intensive back-to-back schedule against the Seattle Storm and the New York Liberty made it impossible for Clark to travel to Metlife Stadium to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and Spain. However, that didn’t mean that the Indiana guard didn’t watch the game and was left disappointed.
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After winning back-to-back games, Clark was asked what she thought about Lionel Messi and Co.’s heartbreaking loss in the final as the previous champions. However, Clark, who has publicly supported Messi and Argentina, bluntly told reporters she found it “boring” in a clip shared by The Athletic’s James Boyd.
The final ended in a 1-0 win for Spain after extra time. What made it so heartbreaking for the three-time World Cup-winning nation’s vast fanbase was that, at 39, the speculation among fans and experts is that this was Messi’s final World Cup.
In fact, Messi himself hinted at retirement from the World Cup stage, posting a photo of himself wearing Adidas’ “The Last Tango” cleats ahead of the finals.
Yet, as disappointing as it may be for Clark and LM10’s global fanbase, a closer look reveals why Caitlin Clark felt the game was boring. In 120 minutes of soccer, Argentina’s offense was non-existent. In fact, the 2022 champions didn’t even attempt a single shot on goal during regulation time, in contrast to Spain’s 12 shots on target and 20 attempts.
Spain controlled possession throughout the match and created several chances. Argentina, on the other hand, spent the vast majority of the game defending. The Latin American nation played with extreme tactical caution and, after going down to 10 men with Enzo Fernandez earning a red card, subbed out all attacking players except Messi.
And perhaps seeing her favored team and player, Lionel Messi, lose, made it even more disappointing for Clark. After all, this is far from the first time CC has followed or taken an interest in soccer. Beyond this World Cup, she regularly tracks major matches throughout the year.
She even played the sport extensively in high school before ultimately committing entirely to her basketball career. With that background in the sport, it is perhaps reasonable to suggest that her verdict on the final is more objective than it might initially appear. It was the assessment of someone who knows the sport well enough to recognize when a game has not delivered what it was capable of.