Argentina captain Lionel Messi arrived Tuesday in his country to spend a period of rest with his family in his hometown Rosario, after losing the 2026 World Cup final to Spain on Sunday, according to local sources cited by AFP.

The 39-year-old, who was not among the group returning from the United States to Buenos Aires on Monday, arrived in Rosario on a private flight around 6:30 a.m. local time (9:30 GMT), accompanied by his wife Antonela and their three children, according to a source in the government of Santa Fe province who preferred not to be named.

ESPN sports network published a video showing Messi inside a gray SUV entering a gated residential complex in Funes on the outskirts of Rosario, where he owns a home where he usually stays when returning to his hometown.

Messi's arrival in Argentina coincides with the health issues his father Jorge, who also manages his business, is suffering from.

Part of the Argentine national team arrived Monday evening in Buenos Aires accompanied by coach Lionel Scaloni and technical staff, where thousands of fans greeted them, waving Argentine flags despite the disappointment of losing the world title by losing the final on Sunday to Spain 0-1 after extra time in East Rutherford, near New York.

As for the rest of the players, they went directly to other cities to join their clubs.

Despite his 39 years, Messi had a remarkable tournament in which he scored 8 goals and provided 4 assists, in a World Cup where his team showed great ability to come back, as happened against Egypt in the round of 16 (3-2 after trailing 0-2) and England (2-1 after trailing until the 85th minute).

But the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner failed to leave his mark in the final, like the rest of the team, which was outperformed by the European champions in organization and collective performance.

After the match, Messi shed tears after receiving the runners-up medal, before turning to Instagram on Monday to say: 'The pain is very intense, and this wound is difficult to heal, but I also keep all the positive aspects.'

The former Barcelona star added: 'It's hard today to truly appreciate what we achieved, but this team reached two consecutive World Cup finals.'

Messi also congratulated Spain for winning the title.

Messi spoke about the thrilling victories over England and Egypt that 'will remain etched in our memory forever,' and about 'the support of an entire country,' which allowed the Albiceleste to 'be once again among the best teams in the world.'

He added: 'Once again, we managed to unite as one nation, and to be all together, sharing the immense pride of being Argentine.'

In World Cups, Messi lost two finals (2014 and 2026) against one title won in 2022 against France.

Messi did not address his future with the national team in his message.