By Reuters

Published on 21 July 2026.

The 1-0 defeat at MetLife Stadium capped a tournament in which Argentina had rallied past England in the semifinals.

Following what could have been his last World Cup appearance, an emotional Lionel Messi wept on the pitch Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey, lamenting the opportunity to secure back-to-back titles for Argentina.

Messi, without hinting whether his World Cup career was officially through, congratulated Spain, who beat Argentina 1-0 in the final, ⁠and said the memories would last, in an Instagram post on Monday evening.

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“The pain is immense, and this wound will take time to heal,” Messi wrote in his native Spanish alongside ⁠a photo of him bearing a silver medal.

“But I also hold onto all the good things… The matches we turned around by giving it our all – moments that will remain in our memories forever – and the support of an entire country which, combined with this group’s hard work and ‌effort, brought us back among the world’s elite once again.

“It is hard to fully appreciate our achievement right now, but this group reached two consecutive World Cup finals.”

In the 2022 final in Qatar, Argentina beat France on penalties after a 3-3 draw, securing the only major trophy that had eluded Messi in his storied career.

Argentina were once again one of the best teams in the ⁠2026 tournament in North America. They rallied past England in the ⁠semifinal before coming up against a Spanish defence that held them without a shot on goal.

Messi turned 39 during the tournament and will turn 43 during the 2030 World Cup, which will be held in Spain, Portugal ⁠and Morocco.

“Thank you from the bottom of my heart for every greeting and message,” Messi wrote. “Once again, we managed to unite ⁠as a country and stand together, sharing the immense ⁠pride of being Argentine.

“I also want to congratulate Spain on winning the championship.”

Messi broke Miroslav Klose’s record of 16 all-time World Cup goals early in the tournament, and he finished with 21, though he was caught ‌and surpassed by Kylian Mbappe (22).

The French star also denied Messi a Golden Boot, finishing with 10 goals to the Argentine’s eight.

ESPN reported on Monday that Messi and his national ‌team ‌and club teammate Rodrigo De Paul will not play the next two regular-season matches for Inter Miami, nor participate in the MLS All-Star Game, as they rest and recover from the World Cup.

Messi, now 39, may have played his last World Cup; the 2030 tournament in Spain, Portugal and Morocco would see him turn 43. His legacy as one of the greatest is secure, but this loss underscores the fine margins in elite football. Fans will watch for any hints about his international future.