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After skipping post-match interviews, international football star Lionel Messi reflected on Argentina’s loss to Spain in the World Cup Final with an emotional message.
Posting on his Instagram on Monday, the former Ballon d’Or winner and current Inter Miami star shared that it was a painful loss and that it would take some time to heal the wound of not repeating as champions.
“The pain is immense, and it will take time for this wound to heal. But I also hold on to all the good… The matches we turned around, giving our all, matches that will forever remain in our memories, the support of an entire country that, together with the hard work and effort of this group, led us to be, once again, among the best in the world. Today it’s hard to fully appreciate what we accomplished, but this group reached two consecutive World Cup finals,” Messi wrote in a message translated to English.
Messi thanked everyone for “every greeting and every message,” adding that this recent World Cup run united Argentina with “immense pride.” In addition, he offered congratulations to Spain on their victory.
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Argentina’s World Cup run provided plenty of memorable moments for the soccer great to add to his highlight reel. He achieved many historic stats and records; at one point, he set the record for most World Cup goals scored all-time, with 21.
However, newer superstar Kylian Mbappe took over the record in France’s third-place match against England, scoring twice to reach 22 goals all-time in World Cup appearances.
Throughout Messi’s run with Argentina, which was his sixth World Cup appearance, he scored eight goals and four assists. After losing to Spain 1-0 in the final, he is now seemingly contemplating his next move, which could include ending his international career.
Many believe this was the final time the world witnessed two of the biggest legends of the sport, Messi and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, in the World Cup. Several weeks ago, Ronaldo confirmed that the 2026 World Cup was his last, but Messi has yet to officially announce anything.
One has to wonder if the pain of the loss will motivate him to return, as an all-time sports great who would prefer to leave on a winning note. Morocco, Portugal, and Spain will host the 2030 World Cup, with opening matches also in Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina.
It provides some intriguing locations to showcase the talents of the world’s biggest football stars, including Messi, who could potentially go out with a win or be at the games supporting his team as an international legend.
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For more about the World Cup, head over to Newsweek Sports.
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