21 July,2026 11:12 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Lionel Messi. Pic/AFP
Football star Lionel Messi admitted that Argentina's loss to Spain in the World Cup final was deeply painful, yet emphasised his pride in everything the squad achieved throughout the tournament.
He pointed to the team's determination, the passionate backing from fans back home, and the remarkable feat of making back-to-back World Cup final appearances. Messi expressed gratitude to the supporters for their encouragement while also extending his congratulations to Spain on their victory.
Argentina mounted a spirited title defence, building on their unforgettable World Cup triumph four years earlier. Inspired by the iconic Lionel Messi, the team showed remarkable fighting spirit throughout the knockout stages, coming from two goals down to defeat Egypt in the Round of 32 before producing a stunning late comeback to edge past England in the semi-finals.
However, it took an exceptional Spain side under Luis de la Fuente to finally end Argentina's reign, as La Roja outclassed the holders to claim the World Cup crown.
"The pain is immense, and it will take time for this wound to heal. But I also hold on to all the good... The matches we turned around, giving our all, matches that will forever remain in our memories, the support of an entire country that, together with the hard work and effort of this group, led us to be, once again, among the best in the world. Today it's hard to fully appreciate what we accomplished, but this group reached two consecutive World Cup finals," Messi wrote in an Instagram post.
"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 the immense pride of being Argentinian. I also want to congratulate Spain on winning the championship," he added.
At the New York New Jersey Stadium, Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal in the 106th minute to secure Spain's second FIFA World Cup title and extend their unbeaten run to a European-record 38 matches.
Lionel Messi and Argentina failed to defend their World Cup title, having won the tournament in Qatar in 2022.
