Lionel Messi shares his emotional World Cup final reaction after Argentina’s defeat to Spain, praising his team and congratulating the champions

Argentina captain Lionel Messi has spoken publicly for the first time after Argentina’s painful 1-0 extra-time defeat to Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final in the United States, admitting the loss would be difficult to overcome while celebrating the team’s remarkable journey.

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The Inter Miami forward shared his message on Monday, a day after the final at MetLife Stadium in New York, having chosen not to speak with reporters immediately after the match.

Spain secured their second World Cup title through Ferran Torres’ extra-time winner in a tightly contested final where Argentina struggled to create clear opportunities.

The defending champions recorded their first shot on target in the 117th minute as Spain held on to claim victory.

In his first public comments, Messi described the defeat as deeply painful but said the memories created during Argentina’s campaign would remain a source of pride.

“The pain is so great, and it’s going to be hard for me to close this wound,” Messi wrote on Instagram. “But I’ll keep all the good stuff too… with the matches where we gave everything, and that will remain forever in the memory.”

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner praised his teammates for reaching consecutive World Cup finals, highlighting the consistency and determination that took Argentina back to the biggest stage in international football.

“Today it’s hard to evaluate what we did, but this group reached two consecutive World Cup finals,” he added.

Messi also thanked supporters in Argentina for their unwavering backing throughout the tournament, noting the way the national team brought people together despite falling short of defending the trophy won in Qatar in 2022.

“Thank you very much from the heart for every greeting and for every message. Once again we managed to unite as a country and be all together, sharing the immense pride of being Argentinian,” he said.

The 39-year-old forward ended his message by acknowledging Spain’s achievement and congratulating the new world champions.

“I also want to congratulate Spain on the championship,” Messi said.

Although Argentina missed the chance to become the first nation since Brazil in 1962 to retain the men’s World Cup title, Lionel Scaloni’s side still achieved a historic milestone by reaching back-to-back finals, a feat last accomplished by Brazil in 1994 and 1998.

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For Messi, the defeat marked another emotional chapter in an international career already defined by extraordinary success, including Argentina’s Copa América triumphs and the long-awaited World Cup victory in Qatar four years earlier.