'The pain is huge': Lionel Messi speaks out after World Cup final loss

Seth Vertelney, USA TODAYMon, July 20, 2026 at 6:11 PM UTC

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Lionel Messi said "the pain is huge" after Argentina's World Cup final defeat to Spain, but the legendary figure added he will cherish good memories from the competition.

Messi could not prevent Argentina from a 1-0 World Cup final defeat against Spain after extra time on Sunday, July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

It was the third World Cup final for Messi, who has now lost two (2014 and 2026) and won one (2022) in his illustrious career.

Messi was in tears after the final whistle. At 39, he has likely played his final World Cup game.

The Inter Miami forward didn't speak to the press following the final, but he released a message on Instagram Monday.

"The pain is huge, and this wound will take time to heal," Messi wrote on social media. "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.

"It is hard to fully appreciate our achievement right now, but this group reached two consecutive World Cup finals.

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"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.

"I also want to congratulate Spain on winning the championship."

Messi scored eight goals in eight matches at the World Cup, finishing runner-up to Kylian Mbappe in the Golden Boot race.

Argentina reached the final the hard way, pulling off several dramatic turnarounds in the knockout phase.

The defending champions required extra time to escape Cape Verde in the round of 32 and Switzerland in the quarterfinals, while late comebacks were needed to defeat Egypt in the round of 16 and England in the semifinal.

But an organized Spain side was too much for Argentina, which still had a chance to send the game into penalties down a man late in extra time. But for the first time all tournament, Argentina could not produce the dramatic goal that it needed.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Messi speaks out after Argentina's World Cup final loss vs Spain

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