Lionel Messi has broken his silence following Argentina’s heartbreaking defeat to Spain in the FIFA World Cup final and admitted the pain of losing the title was “extreme”, while also expressing pride in his team’s journey to a second consecutive final.

Argentina’s bid to defend its World Cup title ends Spain beat the holders 1–0 after extra time at the New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday. Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal in the 106th minute to give La Roja their second FIFA World Cup title and extend their unbeaten run to a European-record 38 matches.

A day after the defeat, Messi reflected on the defeat on Instagram, saying that results would take time but he stressed that the team’s achievements should not be overlooked.

Spain vs Argentina, FIFA World Cup Final: highlighted

“There is a lot of pain, and this wound will take time to heal. But I also hold on to all the good things… the matches we overcame, the ones we gave our all, the matches that will always remain in our memories, the support of the entire country, which, along with the hard work and effort of this group, made us once again one of the best in the world. Today it is difficult to fully appreciate what we achieved, but this group reached two World Cup finals in a row,” Messi wrote.

Messi congratulated Spain

The Argentina captain thanked the supporters for supporting the team throughout the tournament and congratulated Spain on winning the trophy.

He added, “Thank you from the bottom of my heart for every congratulations and every message. Once again, we managed to unite as a country and live together, sharing the immense pride of being Argentines. I would also like to congratulate Spain on winning the championship.”

Argentina arrived in the United States as defending champions following their memorable victory four years ago and once again emerged as one of the tournament’s standout teams. Under Messi’s leadership, La Albiceleste repeatedly found a way through adversity in the knockout stage, defeating Egypt in the Round of 16 after coming from two goals down and then making another dramatic comeback against England in the semi-finals.

Those wins cemented Argentina’s reputation for performing well under pressure, with Messi once again delivering in the biggest moments. However, Luis de la Fuente’s Spain ended their title defense with a disciplined and brilliant performance in the final.

Spain denied Argentina the space they had exploited throughout the tournament and kept Messi out of dangerous areas for almost the entire match. Ferran Torres eventually settled the contest in extra time after coming off the bench and sealed Spain’s first World Cup title since 2010.

Messi, who finished the tournament with eight goals and four assists, was unable to make the decisive impact that had defined Argentina’s campaign. The captain had either scored or assisted in each of the knockout matches in the last two World Cups, but Spain’s organized defensive display ensured he remained largely quiet.

The statistics underlined Argentina’s struggles. The defending champions became the first team not to register a single shot during 90 minutes of a World Cup final. Their first effort, on or off target, came only in the 116th minute, by which time they were already 1–0 down and reduced to 10 men after midfielder Enzo Fernandez was sent off.

Argentina’s dependence on Messi was also clearly visible in the final. Throughout the tournament, the 39-year-old had repeatedly saved his team with important goals and assists, but Spain prevented him from dictating the game and reduced Argentina’s attacking threat.

Spain, meanwhile, got fresh energy from the bench. Match-winner Ferran Torres and fellow substitute Nico Williams added pace and directness in the closing stages, helping La Roja eventually break down Argentina’s resistance.

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said after the win, “I think the match should have been decided much earlier. Emiliano Martínez’s defense prevented us from winning early.”

“But it is a World Cup final and you have to work hard even against 10 players and we were ready for anything.”

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