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Argentina captain Lionel Messi has described his country’s defeat to Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final as deeply painful, admitting it would take a long time to recover from the disappointment.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner made the remarks in a post on Instagram on Monday, less than 24 hours after Argentina suffered a 1-0 extra-time defeat to Spain at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
“The pain is immense, and it’s going to take a long time for this wound to heal,” Messi wrote alongside a photograph of himself wearing his runners-up medal.
Despite the heartbreaking loss, the 39-year-old urged Argentines to take pride in the team’s achievements, noting that reaching consecutive World Cup finals was a feat worthy of recognition.
“I’ll also hold on to all the good memories. Today it’s hard to appreciate what we achieved, but this squad reached two consecutive World Cup finals,” he said.
Messi also congratulated Spain on winning their second World Cup title, acknowledging the quality of the newly crowned champions.
“I’d also like to congratulate Spain on winning the tournament,” he added.
Argentina’s route to the final was marked by resilience, with comeback victories over Egypt and England, while extra-time wins against Cape Verde and Switzerland secured their place in Sunday’s showpiece.
Reflecting on the campaign, Messi praised the determination shown by his teammates throughout the tournament.
“With the matches we turned around by giving our all, matches that will remain in our memories forever, and with the support of an entire country, together with the hard work and effort of this squad, we once again proved we belong among the best teams in the world,” he said.
Messi finished the tournament with eight goals but was unable to inspire Argentina in the final as Spain’s disciplined defence kept the South Americans at bay throughout the contest.
The defeat leaves Messi with one World Cup triumph and two runners-up finishes, having lost the 2014 final to Germany before lifting the trophy against France in Qatar in 2022.
Argentine media reports said the Inter Miami forward was not expected to travel back to Buenos Aires with the rest of the squad, who are set to return home following the defeat.
