Argentina skipper Lionel Messi broke his silence for the first time since his side’s FIFA World Cup 2026 final defeat to Spain in the New Jersey/New York Stadium on Sunday.
“The pain is immense, and this wound will take time to heal,” said Messi in an Instagram post on Monday.
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“But I also hold onto all the good things... 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. It is hard to fully appreciate our achievement right now, but this group reached two consecutive World Cup finals.”
Messi top-scored with eight goals and four assists to lead Argentina to another World Cup final, hoping to win back-to-back titles.
But the 39-year-old was subdued by an efficient Spanish side in what was an insipid all-round display from Argentina.
Messi added, “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.”
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Published on Jul 20, 2026