Argentina lost 1-0 to Spain in the final, which was rumored to be Lionel Messi’s last World Cup match.
Published July 21, 2026
After what was likely his last World Cup match, Lionel Messi wept on a field in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Sunday, lamenting the loss of Argentina’s chance to win a second consecutive title.
Messi did not hint whether his World Cup career was officially over, but in an Instagram post on Monday night he congratulated Spain on defeating Argentina 1-0 in the final and said the memories would last a lifetime.
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“The pain is immense and this wound will take time to heal,” Messi wrote in his native Spanish, along with a photo of himself holding a silver medal.
“But I also hold on to all the good things…the games in which we gave our all and came back, the moments that will remain in our memory forever, and the support of the entire country that, coupled with the hard work and effort of this group, brought us back among the world’s elite.
“It’s hard to fully appreciate our accomplishments at this point, but this group has reached the World Cup finals for the second year in a row.”
In the 2022 final in Qatar, Argentina defeated France on penalties following a 3-3 draw, earning Messi the last piece of major hardware he had yet to acquire during his illustrious career.
Argentina was once again one of the best teams in the 2026 North American tournament. They defeated England in the semi-finals and then faced a Spanish defense that held them without a shot.
Messi will turn 39 during the tournament and will turn 43 during the 2030 World Cup, which will be held in Spain, Portugal and Morocco.
Messi wrote, “I am grateful from the bottom of my heart for all the greetings and messages.” “Once again, we have managed to unite and unite as a nation, sharing the immense pride of being Argentinians.
“I would also like to congratulate Spain on their victory.”
Messi broke Miroslav Klose’s record of 16 World Cup goals early in the tournament, and although he was caught up and overtaken by Kylian Mbappé (22 goals), he finished with 21 goals.
The French star also rejected Messi’s Golden Boot award, finishing with 10 goals to Argentina’s eight.
ESPN reported on Monday that Messi and his national team and club teammate Rodrigo de Paul will not play in Inter Miami’s next two regular season games and will not appear in the MLS All-Star Game as they rest and recover from the World Cup.
