Lionel Messi has broken his silence following Argentina’s heartbreaking FIFA World Cup final defeat, admitting the pain of losing to Spain is “immense” and will take time to heal.
Ferran Torres’ extra-time winner in New Jersey handed Spain a 1-0 victory on Sunday, ending Argentina’s hopes of retaining the World Cup and denying Messi the chance to lift a second world title.
At 39, the Argentine icon is unlikely to feature at the 2030 World Cup, although he has not announced any plans to retire from international football.
Reflecting on the defeat in a heartfelt social media post, Messi thanked fans for their unwavering support while acknowledging the disappointment of falling short.
“The pain is immense, and this wound will take time to heal. But I also hold onto all the good things,” Messi wrote.
“The matches we turned around by giving it our all – moments that will remain in our memories forever – and the support of an entire country which, combined with this group’s hard work and effort, brought us back among the world’s elite once again.”
Argentina eased through the group stage before producing a series of dramatic comeback victories in the knockout rounds to reach a second consecutive World Cup final.
Messi finished the tournament with eight goals and four assists and was widely regarded as one of the standout performers, despite missing out on the Golden Ball award.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner also praised his teammates for their resilience throughout the campaign.
“It is hard to fully appreciate our achievement right now, but this group reached two consecutive World Cup finals,” he said. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart for every greeting and message. Once again, we managed to unite as a country and stand together, sharing the immense pride of being Argentine. I also want to congratulate Spain on winning the championship.”