Messi says Argentina’s World Cup final defeat will take time to heal
Lionel Messi thanked Argentina fans after Spain’s 1-0 World Cup final win and did not say whether he had played his last match in the tournament.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
3 min read
Lionel Messi said Argentina’s World Cup final loss to Spain left a wound that would need time to heal, Reuters reported, after the defending champions fell short of back-to-back titles. The defeat also left open the question of whether the 39-year-old has played his final World Cup match.
Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in Sunday’s final in East Rutherford, New Jersey, according to Reuters. Messi was emotional on the field after the match, which ended Argentina’s attempt to repeat its 2022 triumph in Qatar.
In an Instagram post on Monday evening, Messi congratulated Spain and thanked Argentina supporters. Writing in Spanish alongside a photo of himself with a silver medal, he said the pain was great and that “this wound will take time to heal.”
Messi also said he was trying to hold on to the positive memories from Argentina’s tournament, including matches the team came back to win and the backing of supporters across the country. He said the squad’s work and effort had helped return Argentina to the top level of world football.
The Argentina captain said it was difficult to judge the team’s achievement so soon after the final, Reuters reported. He noted that Argentina had reached two straight World Cup finals, having won the 2022 title by beating France on penalties after a 3-3 draw.
That 2022 victory gave Messi the major international trophy that had long eluded him in his career, according to Reuters. Four years later, Argentina again went deep into the tournament in North America, including a semifinal comeback against England.
Spain’s defense stopped Argentina in the final, holding the team without a shot on goal, Reuters reported. Messi did not indicate in his Instagram message whether he expects to appear at another World Cup.
Messi turned 39 during the 2026 tournament. Reuters noted he would be 43 during the 2030 World Cup, which is scheduled to be staged in Spain, Portugal and Morocco.
Messi thanked fans for their messages and greetings after the final. He said Argentina had again managed to come together as a country and share pride in being Argentine, while also offering congratulations to Spain for winning the championship.
The tournament also included another place in World Cup history for Messi. Reuters reported that he passed Miroslav Klose’s record of 16 career World Cup goals early in the competition and finished with 21.
Kylian Mbappe later moved past Messi to reach 22 World Cup goals, according to Reuters. Mbappe also finished ahead of Messi in the 2026 Golden Boot race, scoring 10 goals to Messi’s eight.
ESPN reported Monday that Messi and Rodrigo De Paul, his teammate for Argentina and Inter Miami, will sit out Inter Miami’s next two regular-season matches and miss the MLS All-Star Game while they rest after the World Cup.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.