Lionel Messi has spoken for the first time since Argentina’s defeat in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, expressing deep disappointment while reflecting on his team’s achievements.
Emotional reflection on the final
In a heartfelt message, the Argentine captain acknowledged the difficulty of the loss to Spain, describing the pain as immense.
“This pain is immense, and this wound will take time to heal. 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,”
Pride in consecutive finals
TalkSport reports that the eighth time Ballon d’Or winner relishes Argentina’s journey to back-to-back World Cup finals, emphasising the resilience shown by the squad.
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“It is hard to fully appreciate our achievement right now, but this group reached two consecutive World Cup finals.”
He also thanked fans for their support throughout the campaign.
“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.”
Congratulations to Spain
Messi ended his statement by congratulating the eventual champions.“I also want to congratulate Spain on winning the championship.”
The 2026 final saw Spain defeat Argentina 1-0 in extra time, with Ferran Torres scoring the decisive goal. Despite the loss, Messi and Argentina reached the final for the second successive tournament, having won the title in 2022.
