A day after his team’s loss to Spain in the World Cup final, Lionel Messi is still feeling the pain. Messi released a statement Monday, reflecting on the loss, thanking his fans and teammates and congratulating Spain on the win.
The statement was posted on Messi’s Instagram page in Spanish. Its translation reads:
“The pain is immense, and it will take time for this wound to heal. But I also choose to hold on to all the good things … the matches we played, giving everything we had, will stay in our memories forever. With the support of an entire country, together with the hard work and effort of this group, we once again managed to be among the best teams in the world. Today it’s difficult to fully appreciate what we achieved, but this team reached two consecutive World Cup finals. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for every greeting and every message. Once again, we came together as a country, united by immense pride of being Argentine. I also want to congratulate Spain on winning the championship.”
While Messi’s message was heartfelt, things were … not so friendly … between the two teams following Sunday’s game. A brawl broke out after the contest, which Spain won 1-0. Messi was not involved in the incident, which FIFA will reportedly investigate.
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The contest potentially marked the end of Messi’s time in the World Cup. While the next World Cup will be co-hosted by Argentina, Messi will be 43 when it takes place. Although it’s conceivable he could still be playing, it feels unlikely.
Messi may have hinted as much Sunday, as he walked off the field fighting back tears after being presented with his second-place medal.
Despite his age, Messi still proved to be at the top of his game during the 2026 World Cup. He set numerous records during the event and even challenged for the Golden Boot. Without Messi and his late-game heroics, Argentina may have been eliminated from the World Cup far before the final.
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While impressive, that wasn’t enough to lead Argentina to a second straight World Cup victory.
Falling short of that goal clearly still hurts, though it ultimately won’t impact Messi’s legacy in the sport. He’s already accomplished everything soccer has to offer, including winning the World Cup for Argentina. If this was it for Messi, he can walk away from Sunday’s game with his head held high … once he’s fully over the loss.
