Messi Heartbroken After World Cup Final Loss to Spain

Lionel Messi has broken his silence after Argentina's 1-0 defeat to Spain in the World Cup final, saying the pain is immense and that the wound will take time to heal. Ferran Torres struck in extra time to hand Spain a second world title and end Argentina's defence of the trophy they won in 2022.

At 39, Messi has now lost two World Cup finals — the first a 1-0 defeat to Germany in 2014. Whether he lines up at the 2030 tournament remains unclear. He is yet to announce his international future.

Messi contributed eight goals and four assists across the tournament, playing a key role as Argentina came from behind to beat Egypt and England in the knockout stages. Spain, though, conceded just one goal in the entire competition and could not be broken. Messi's side reached two consecutive World Cup finals, and he acknowledged that achievement in his social media post: 'It is hard to fully appreciate our achievement right now, but this group reached two consecutive World Cup finals.'

Midfielder Enzo Fernandez, shown a second yellow card late in the second half for a challenge on Pau Cubarsi, wrote that he and his team-mates had defended these colors with pride, humility, and commitment. FIFA's disciplinary committee has since appointed a prosecutor to investigate altercations between both sets of players at the final whistle.

For football fans, the question now is whether Messi returns for Argentina's 2030 World Cup campaign — or whether a legendary international career has reached its final chapter.

First reported by BBC Sport Football.