Lionel Messi has penned an open letter to Argentina supporters following their unsuccessful bid to become just the third team in history to win successive World Cups. The 39-year-old captain broke his silence nearly 24 hours after the final, expressing deep pain but also gratitude for the support.
World Cup Final Defeat
Messi and Argentina went into Sunday's final with Spain as defending champions after victory in Qatar in 2022. However, they were second best against Luis de la Fuente's side, who dominated from start to finish. Ferran Torres scored the only goal in extra-time after Enzo Fernandez was sent off in the final minutes of regulation time.
This was likely Messi's last World Cup appearance. He broke down after the game when serenaded by Argentina fans.
Messi's Emotional Message
In his open letter, Messi wrote: "The pain is immense, it will take time for this wound to heal. But I also choose to hold on to all the good things, all matches we turned around by giving everything and moments that will remain in our memories forever."
He added: "I will always remember the support of an entire country that, together with the work and effort of this group, brought us back once again among the best teams in the world. 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."
Messi also congratulated Spain on their victory.
Ugly Scenes After the Match
The aftermath was marred by ugly scenes as Argentina players Nahuel Molina and Leandro Paredes lashed out at opponents. Former England striker Wayne Rooney condemned their actions, saying: "Does it surprise you? It doesn't surprise me. We've seen this with Argentina before. It's just not the reaction you want. We've seen some of the reaction after knocking England out in the last round. That's just sad. If you lose a game of football, be graceful and get out of there. It's really poor from them."
