We gave it everything, says Argentina coach Scaloni

Argentina's World Cup dreams were dashed as they fell 1-0 to Spain in a grueling final that went into extra time. Despite playing a man down for a significant portion of the match, coach Lionel Scaloni expressed a mix of sadness and immense pride in his team's performance.

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I feel sad. One could say many things about how we got here, but it’s not worth it. Endless thanks to these players who once again took us to the final.

"I feel sad," Scaloni admitted after the match. "One could say many things about how we got here, but it’s not worth it. Endless thanks to these players who once again took us to the final." He acknowledged Spain's superiority on the day but emphasized the indelible memories of his players' achievements. "They (the Spaniards) were better, that’s true, but I will have tremendous memories of what my players achieved," he stated.

The match took a critical turn when Argentina's Enzo Fernandez was sent off in second-half stoppage time, leaving the team with a significant disadvantage. Spain ultimately capitalized on the opportunity, with Ferran Torres breaking the deadlock to secure the title.

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They (the Spaniards) were better, that’s true, but I will have tremendous memories of what my players achieved. We are great in victory and must be so in defeat as well. Tonight, we show that we know how to lose. We lost, and we accept it.

For Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi, this marked his third World Cup final appearance. Scaloni lauded Messi's "unbelievable" tournament, during which he played every minute of the knockout stages and scored eight goals. "He's 39 years old now," Scaloni said. "It was crystal clear for me that he was going to play up until he decided not to. I hope that everyone feels proud of him, of what he's achieved, because he's the best football player ever to set foot on a pitch."

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He's 39 years old now. It was crystal clear for me that he was going to play up until he decided not to. I hope that everyone feels proud of him, of what he's achieved, because he's the best football player ever to set foot on a pitch. I have no doubt about this, and what he did during this World Cup was incredible. But also what he did before this.

Scaloni himself appeared emotional when discussing his own future as coach. "I will talk to the president (of the football federation)," he said. "I believe it's only fair that I can take this time for myself to think this through. I never thought I would get to this place and it's wonderful." He hinted at the difficulty of maintaining such a high-performing group, suggesting a need for mental reset and rebuilding.

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I will talk to the president (of the football federation). I believe it's only fair that I can take this time for myself to think this through. I never thought I would get to this place and it's wonderful.