The pain is immense: Lionel Messi breaks silence after heartbreaking World Cup final defeat

Lionel Messi has broken his silence following Argentina’s heartbreaking defeat by Spain in the World Cup final, admitting the pain of losing the title was “immense” while expressing pride in his side’s journey to a second successive final.

Argentina’s bid to defend its World Cup crown is over on Sunday, Spain beat the holders 1-0 after extra time at the New York New Jersey Stadium. Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal in the 106th minute to hand La Roja their second FIFA World Cup title and extend their unbeaten run to a European record 38 matches.

The day after the defeat, Messi reflected on the loss on Instagram, saying it would take time to come to terms with the result, but insisted the team’s achievements should not be overlooked.

Spain vs Argentina, FIFA World Cup Final: HIGHLIGHTS

“The pain is immense and it will take time for this wound to heal. But I’m also holding on to all the good… The games we turned around, the games we gave our all, the games that will live forever in our memories, the support of the entire country, which, along with the hard work and effort of this group, has led us to be among the best in the world again. It’s hard today to fully appreciate what we’ve achieved in this group, the World Cup finals, what we’ve done, Messi.”

MESSI CONGRATULATIONS TO SPAIN

The Argentina captain also thanked the fans for supporting the team throughout the tournament and congratulated Spain for lifting the trophy.

“I thank you from the bottom of my heart for every greeting and every message. Once again we managed to unite as a country and be together, sharing immense pride in being Argentinians. I also want to congratulate Spain for winning the championship,” he added.

Arriving in the United States as the defending champions after their memorable triumph four years ago, Argentina once again proved to be one of the tournament’s standout teams. Messi-led La Albiceleste repeatedly found a way through adversity in the knockout stages, recovering from two goals down to beat Egypt in the round of 16 before mounting another dramatic comeback against England in the semi-finals.

These victories have reinforced Argentina’s reputation for thriving under pressure, with Messi once again coming through in the biggest moments. However, Spain’s Luis de la Fuente defended his title in the final with a disciplined and commanding performance.

Spain denied Argentina the space they have used throughout the tournament and kept Messi away from dangerous areas for most of the match. Ferran Torres eventually leveled the match in extra time after coming off the bench to seal Spain’s first World Cup title since 2010.

Messi, who finished the tournament with eight goals and four assists, failed to make the decisive impact that defined Argentina’s campaign. The captain has either scored or assisted in each of the knockout games at the last two World Cups, but Spain’s organized defensive display ensured he remained largely quiet.

The statistics underscored Argentina’s woes. The defending champions became the first team not to register a single shot in 90 minutes of a World Cup final. Their first effort, on or off the target, didn’t come until the 116th minute when they were already 1-0 up and reduced to 10 men after midfielder Enzo Fernandez was sent off.

Argentina’s reliance on Messi also showed in the final. Throughout the tournament, the 39-year-old repeatedly saved his team with decisive goals and assists, but Spain prevented him from dictating the game and cut off Argentina’s attacking threat.

Spain, meanwhile, found fresh energy from the bench. Match-winner Ferran Torres and substitute Nico Williams added pace and directness in the closing stages to help La Roja finally break Argentina’s resistance.

“I think the match should have been decided much earlier. Emiliano Martinez’s saves prevented us from winning earlier,” Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said after the victory.

“But this is a World Cup final and you have to dig deep even against 10 men and we were prepared for anything.

– The end

Issued by:

Saurabh Kumar

Published on:

20 Jul 2026 23:44 IST