Messi Admits ‘Pain is Immense’ after Losing World Cup Final

Lionel Messi described the pain of losing the World Cup final as "immense" and stated that the "wound will take time to heal" after Argentina fell 1-0 to Spain in extra time. The defeat ended Argentina's reign as champions, which began with their victory in 2022, and marked Messi's second World Cup final loss, having previously been defeated by Germany in 2014.

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The pain is immense, and this wound will take time to heal. But I also hold onto all the good things.

"I also hold onto all the good things," Messi wrote on social media. "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."

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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.

At 39 years old, Messi's participation in the 2030 tournament remains uncertain, though he has not yet clarified his international future. He was instrumental in Argentina's journey to the final, contributing eight goals and four assists. The team's performance saw them come from behind to defeat Egypt and England in the knockout stages, but they were ultimately unable to overcome a Spanish side that conceded only one goal throughout the entire tournament.

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

Messi extended congratulations to Spain for their championship win. He also reflected on the team's achievement of reaching two consecutive World Cup finals, emphasizing the unity and pride felt by Argentines. "Once again, we managed to unite as a country and stand together, sharing the immense pride of being Argentine," he stated.

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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.