'The pain is huge': Messi's message after losing the 2026 World Cup final

A day after Argentina's defeat to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final, Lionel Messi broke his silence. The Albiceleste captain, who left the MetLife Stadium on Sunday without speaking after losing 1-0 to Ferran Torres's extra-time goal, posted an emotional message on Instagram on Monday that laid bare the scale of the disappointment.

'The pain is huge and this wound will be hard to heal,' the number 10 wrote. 'But I also take away all the good… The games we turned around by giving everything, that will live forever in the memory, the support of an entire country that, together with the work and effort of this group, brought us back once again among the best in the world.'

The message, addressed to his more than 500 million followers, blended sadness with pride in a run that left Argentina a single step from back-to-back world titles. 'Today it's hard to value what we did, but this group reached two consecutive World Cup finals,' recalled the captain, who scored eight goals at the tournament and was one of its standout figures despite the outcome.

Messi also had a word for the winners: 'Once again we managed to unite as a country and be together, sharing the immense pride of being Argentine. I also want to congratulate Spain on the title,' he signed off. The image from Sunday — the captain breaking down in tears as he received the silver medal while the team thanked their fans — had travelled around the world.

The big question the message leaves is his future. Messi did not clarify whether he will continue with the national team or whether this was his last great appointment with the Albiceleste. As in 2014, when he lost his first World Cup final to Germany before claiming glory in Qatar 2022, the captain again leaves a World Cup with the ache of the final. Argentina, and football as a whole, wait to learn whether there will be one more chapter.