Messi breaks silence after World Cup loss

"The pain is immense. It will take a long time for these wounds to heal."

Lionel Messi broke his silence Tuesday after Argentina's defeat in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, sharing an emotional message on social media. Argentina's bid to defend its title ended Monday with a 1-0 loss to Spain. Messi, 39, was among the tournament's brightest stars, finishing with eight goals and four assists. But he was unable to inspire his team in the final as Argentina fell short in its pursuit of back-to-back World Cup titles.

"I'll always cherish the memories of the matches where we gave everything and found a way back," Messi wrote. "It may be difficult to appreciate what we've achieved right now, but we are a team that reached two straight World Cup finals." He also offered his congratulations to Spain on winning the title.

Messi made no mention of his international future in the post. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni, who guided the team to the 2022 World Cup title and Copa América triumphs in 2021 and 2024 alongside Messi, is also nearing the end of his contract, which expires in December. Sports Illustrated reported Tuesday that both Messi and Scaloni could walk away from the national team.

Messi, who plays for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, is also expected to miss the MLS All-Star Game on July 30. ESPN reported Tuesday that Inter Miami had informed the league office that neither Messi nor Rodrigo De Paul would take part in the event. De Paul, an Argentina midfielder, also started alongside Messi in the World Cup final.


Bae-Jung Kim wanted@donga.com