‘The pain is immense’: Lionel Messi writes emotional note after Argentina lose 2026 FIFA World Cup final to Spain

NEW DELHI: Lionel Messi shared an emotional message after Argentina’s 0-1 defeat by Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final at the New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday. The 39-year-old admitted the loss was painful but said he was proud of what Argentina had achieved during their title defence.Spain ended Argentina’s hopes of becoming the first team in 64 years to successfully defend the FIFA World Cup. Substitute Ferran Torres scored the only goal in the 106th minute of extra time to hand La Roja their second World Cup title.Messi took to Instagram after the final to thank Argentina’s supporters and said the team should still be proud of reaching the World Cup final.“The pain is immense and this wound will take some time to heal. But I also hold on to all the good things… The games we turned around by giving everything – moments that will remain forever in our memories – and the support of the whole country, which, combined with the hard work and efforts of this group, has put us back among the world’s elite. It is difficult to fully appreciate our success in two consecutive games,” Messi wrote in the World Cup final.“Thank you from the bottom of my heart for every greeting and message. Once again we have managed to unite as a country and stand together, sharing the immense pride of being Argentine,” he said.“I also want to congratulate Spain for winning the championship,” added Messi.Despite the heartbreak, the mood in Buenos Aires reflected pride, with fans applauding a team that reached another World Cup final and fought until the very end.

How Spain ended Argentina’s rule

Torres scored his first goal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the biggest moment of all, coming off the bench to fire Spain to a 1-0 extra-time victory over Argentina and return La Roja to the summit of world football.The substitute struck in the 106th minute to deny Lionel Messi a second straight World Cup in what the Argentina captain indicated was his final appearance at the tournament.Torres was quickest to react to a bouncing ball in the penalty area and fired a left-footed shot just under the crossbar to seal Spain’s second World Cup title after their triumph in 2010.