Lionel Messi after the 1-0 defeat to Spain in FIFA World Cup 2026 final.
Lionel Messi has spoken for the first time since Argentina’s defeat to Spain in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final. The captain admitted the pain is immense but said he remains proud of what the team achieved.
Argentina lost 1-0 to Spain after extra time at New York New Jersey Stadium. Ferran Torres scored the winning goal as Spain claimed their second World Cup title. A day after the final, Messi shared an emotional message on Instagram. “The pain is immense and it’s going to be hard for me to close this wound. But I’ll keep all the good stuff too,” Messi wrote.
He said Argentina gave everything throughout the tournament. “We left everything on the pitch and that will remain forever in the memory. Today it’s hard to evaluate what we did, but this group reached two consecutive World Cup finals.” Messi also thanked Argentina fans for standing behind the team. “Thank you very much from the heart for every greeting and for every message. Once again we managed to unite as a country and be all together, sharing the immense pride of being Argentinian.”
The 39 year old also congratulated the new world champions. “I also want to congratulate Spain for the championship.” Despite the heartbreaking defeat, Messi’s message reflected pride in his teammates, gratitude to the supporters and respect for Spain after another memorable World Cup journey.
