“Today, it is difficult to appreciate what we achieved… but this group has really 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 come together as a country and stand united, sharing the immense pride of being Argentine. I also want to congratulate Spain on winning World Cup,” he added.

On Sunday, Messi collected the FIFA World Cup 2026 runners-up silver medal from US President Donald Trump after a forgettable evening against Spain at the MetLife Stadium. The highs of the 2022 triumph were swiftly erased as he exited the podium. The Argentina talisman broke into tears as he waved goodbye before trudging down the players’ tunnel.

Messi’s forgettable night effectively depicted Argentina’s misery against Luis de la Fuente’s Spanish unit. Their domination in the final had only one goal to show from Ferran Torres’ 106th-minute strike, but also ensured that Argentina did not have a single shot on target for 120 minutes.

“I feel sad, but I am aware that we played our hearts out,” Messi had told reporters following the loss. “They were better, to be honest. We lost the game, and we accept that. That doesn’t mean that we will forget everything we’ve done so far, so I’d like to thank my people, my players and the country.”