Argentina and Lionel Messi’s World Cup ended in disappointment, as Spain beat the defending champions 1-0 on Sunday.
Messi had a tough match against Spain’s suffocating defense, with La Roja being the only squad to hold Messi in check all summer long. While Argentina’s title defense was valiant, the team ultimately fell short in its quest to win back-to-back titles.
Messi himself was emotional after the match, since it could have been the final World Cup match of his career. The star finally addressed the loss publicly for the first time on Monday, as he waited for the fog of the loss to clear.
Here’s what Messi posted on social media.
Lionel Messi Instagram post
On Instagram, Messi posted a message in his first words to the public since losing the World Cup Final to Spain. He mentioned how painful the loss was, but also how grateful he was for the entire run throughout the tournament.
“The pain is immense, and it will take time for this wound to heal,” he wrote in Spanish. “But I also choose to hold on to all the good things, the matches we turned around by giving everything, moments that will remain in our memories forever and the support of an entire country that, together with the work and effort of this group, brought us back once again among the best teams in the world.”
While Argentina was surely disappointed by the outcome, Messi said he believes the totatility of the groups accomplishments will be appreciated later.
“Today, it is difficult to appreciate what we achieved, but this group reached two consecutive World Cup finals,” he added. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart for every greeting and every message. Once again, we managed to come together as a country and stand united, sharing the immense pride of being Argentine. I also want to congratulate Spain on winning the championship.”
🚨🚨📲 Leo Messi on IG: “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 turned around by giving everything, moments that will remain in our memories forever and the support of an entire… pic.twitter.com/3ZL4yFKhmA
— All About Argentina 🛎🇦🇷 (@AlbicelesteTalk) July 20, 2026
FARRELL: Argentina’s World Cup ‘anti-futbol’ means Lionel Messi pens a sad final chapter
Was this Lionel Messi’s last World Cup?
While Messi has not made an official decision regarding his participation in future World Cups, the 2026 World Cup was likely his last. Messi will be in his mid-40s by the time the next World Cup arrives in 2030, and very few players have even attempted to play in the World Cup at that age.
After winning the 2022 World Cup, Messi secured the ultimate team milestone, so he won’t need to chase the title in his latter years. However, he will likely not make that decision until he gets closer to the tournament in four years.
How old is Lionel Messi?
Messi turned 39 years old on June 24, making him one of the oldest players in this year’s tournament. In 2030, Messi will turn 43 during the World Cup, and only two players have appeared in a World Cup match at the age of 43 or older.
