Argentine star Lionel Messi expressed his 'immense pain' in a post on his Instagram account on Monday, in his first statement since losing the 2026 World Cup final to Spain (0-1 after extra time).

The 39-year-old player, who shed tears after the defeat, wrote: 'The pain is immense, and it will be hard for this wound to heal. But I also hold on to 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 on winning the title.