Lionel Messi sends message to Spain after Argentina fall short in World Cup final

Argentine superstar Lionel Messi has broken his silence after his country’s crushing World Cup final defeat to Spain, thanking supporters for standing by the team and sending a message to the European football giant.

The Argentina captain addressed the loss on Monday, 20 July, a day after the reigning World Cup winners were beaten 1-0 by Spain in the championship match. In an emotional post shared on Instagram, Messi reflected on the disappointment of the defeat but said he remained proud of what the team achieved during the tournament.

'It will take time for this wound to heal': Messi

“The pain is immense, and it will take time for this wound to heal. But I also hold on to all the good…,” Messi, 39, began, as per the English translation. “The matches we turned around, giving our all, matches that will forever remain in our memories, the support of an entire country that, together with the hard work and effort of this group, led us to be, once again, among the best in the world. Today it’s hard to fully appreciate what we accomplished, but this group reached two consecutive World Cup finals.”

The defeat marked a difficult moment for Messi, who had led Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar in 2022. The final was his sixth World Cup appearance after making his debut in the tournament as an 18-year-old in Germany in 2006.

Despite the loss, Messi highlighted the unity created by the national team’s journey and expressed gratitude to fans who supported Argentina throughout the competition.

“Thank you from the bottom of my heart for every greeting and every message. Once again, we managed to unite as a country and be together, sharing the immense pride of being Argentinian,” he said.

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A post shared by Leo Messi (@leomessi)

Emotional farewell after another World Cup final appearance

Messi was visibly emotional on the pitch after Argentina’s defeat at New York-New Jersey Stadium on Sunday. The forward scored eight goals during the tournament and was among the contenders for the Golden Boot award, but France’s Kylian Mbappé claimed the honor after finishing as the tournament’s top scorer with 10 goals.

Messi’s message to Spain in a tense World Cup final that FIFA investigating

In his message the 39-year-old also congratulated Spain for winning the tournament. “I also want to congratulate Spain on winning the championship,” he said. While Messi’s message carried a tone of respect and gratitude, the match itself was filled with tension.

Spain secured their second World Cup title after winger Ferran Torres scored an extra-time winner to seal a 1-0 victory over Argentina. Argentina were already reduced to 10 players in the 93rd minute of normal time when Enzo Fernandez was sent off after receiving a second yellow card.

Tempers then flared after the final whistle when Argentine midfielder Leandro Paredes clashed with Spanish players, including defender Eric Garcia and midfielder Gavi. The confrontation escalated into a wider altercation between both teams before players were separated, with Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni attempting to calm the situation. FIFA has appointed a disciplinary and ethics prosecutor to investigate the post-match incident.

Messi’s retirement talks

Messi has not officially announced his retirement from Argentina duty, but several moments before and after the final have fueled speculation that the match could have been his last appearance in the national team jersey. Before the final against Spain, Messi shared a picture of his Adidas boots on Instagram with the message: “What a journey we're having together.”

The boots also carried the words “El Ultimo Tango”, which translates to “The Last Tango”, suggesting that Messi viewed the final as a possible farewell moment.

The Argentina national team also appeared to hint at the possibility of Messi stepping away from international football in a post on X, “There will never be enough words to thank you for all the joy you’ve given us,” the post read. “The greatest of all time. Forever grateful for you, Captain.”