Lionel Messi expressed “immense pain” and acknowledged that it “will take time to heal” following Argentina’s 1-0 defeat to Spain in the World Cup final. Ferran Torres secured the victory with an extra-time goal, leading to Spain being crowned world champions for the second time, effectively ending Argentina’s title defense from 2022.

Messi has now faced two World Cup final losses, having previously been defeated 1-0 by Germany in 2014. At 39 years old, he may not participate in the 2030 tournament, although he has not yet clarified his international future.

In a heartfelt message on social media, Messi stated, “The pain is immense, and this wound will take time to heal. But I also hold onto all the good things: the matches we turned around by giving it our all – moments that will remain in our memories forever – and the support of an entire country which, combined with this group’s hard work and effort, brought us back among the world’s elite once again.”

He added, “It is hard to fully appreciate our achievement right now, but this group reached two consecutive World Cup finals.” Messi expressed gratitude for the support he’s received, saying, “Thank you from the bottom of my heart for every greeting and message. Once again, we managed to unite as a country and stand together, sharing the immense pride of being Argentine.”

In closing, Messi congratulated Spain on their championship victory. Throughout the tournament, he played a crucial role, contributing eight goals and four assists as Argentina advanced to their third final in the last four World Cups. He was instrumental in the team’s comeback victories against Egypt and England in the knockout stages, but could not find a way past a dominant Spain side that allowed only one goal throughout the entire tournament.