Messi says 'pain is immense' after losing World Cup final
Argentina’s World Cup Final Defeat
Lionel Messi has described the pain of Argentina’s 1-0 defeat to Spain in the World Cup final as “immense.” The loss saw Argentina relinquish the title they secured in 2022, with Ferran Torres scoring the decisive goal in extra time for Spain.
This marks the second time Messi has experienced a World Cup final defeat, having previously lost 1-0 to Germany in 2014. At 39 years old, Messi‘s participation in the 2030 tournament is considered unlikely, though he has not yet confirmed his international future.
On social media, Messi shared his feelings, stating, “The pain is immense, and this wound will take time to heal. But I also hold onto all the good things.” He reflected on the team’s ability to turn matches around and the support from their country, which he said brought them back among the world’s elite.
Messi also acknowledged the difficulty in fully appreciating their achievement at this moment, noting that the group reached two consecutive World Cup finals. He extended congratulations to Spain for their championship victory.
Messi’s Tournament Contributions and Spain’s Dominance
Throughout the tournament, Messi was a key contributor for Argentina, scoring eight goals and providing four assists. His efforts helped Argentina reach the final for the third time in the past four World Cups.
He played a crucial role in knockout stage victories against Egypt and England, where Argentina came from behind. However, they were unable to overcome a Spain side that conceded only one goal throughout the entire tournament.
Spain‘s victory marked their second World Cup title. The winning goal by Ferran Torres came in the 106th minute of the match. Rodrigo Hernández, who was also present during Spain‘s first World Cup win in 2010, was seen celebrating on the field.
After the match, Lamine Yamal of Spain was observed embracing Lionel Messi, who stood up to meet him. This moment was described as a significant rite of passage.
Spain’s Celebrations and Performance
The celebrations for Spain included various players receiving individual accolades. Pau Cubarsí received the young player award. Unai Simón was recognized with the Golden Glove.
The team’s dominance in the final was notable. Ferran Torres‘s goal was Spain‘s 20th shot of the match, while Argentina did not manage a shot until the 115th minute and had no shots on target throughout the game. According to one report, this was only the third time in 900 World Cup games that a team failed to register a shot on target.
Goalkeeper Unai Simón commented that his gloves “didn’t have much work to do,” while Aymeric Laporte emphasized that Spain did not rely too heavily on their backline.
The triumph was attributed to the collective effort and the system led by coach Luis de la Fuente. He began his coaching career at Deportivo Alavés in the third tier and later joined the Spanish federation’s youth system, where he won the European Championship with the under-19s and under-21s before leading the senior side to victory.
The team departed from the New Jersey New York Stadium.
Source: bbc.com
