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Lionel Messi has confessed that it will “take time” to recover from the “immense pain” of Argentina’s defeat to Spain in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final on Sunday.

Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal during extra-time in what was a scrappy and low-quality contest, preventing Argentina from claiming back-to-back World Cup titles. The victory handed Spain their first World Cup trophy since 2010.

Argentina found it difficult to impose themselves as La Roja’s organised defence and commanding midfield controlled much of the match. Messi had little influence throughout the game and managed his and the team’s first effort on goal only in the 117th minute.

On Monday, Messi expressed his heartbreak in a social media post, describing the loss as one of great agony, though he also emphasised his pride in how Argentina performed throughout the tournament.

“The pain is immense, and it will take time for this wound to heal,” the 39-year-old wrote.

“But I also hold on to all the positives… The matches we fought back to win, giving our all, which will forever stay in our memories, the support of an entire nation that, along with the hard work and dedication of this group, made us once again one of the best teams in the world. It’s difficult today to fully grasp what we achieved, but this team reached two consecutive World Cup finals.”

“Thank you from the bottom of my heart for every greeting and every message. Once again, we managed to unite as a country and share the immense pride of being Argentinian.”

“I also want to congratulate Spain on their championship victory.”