NEW YORK, JULY 21 — Lionel Messi admitted Argentina’s 0-1 defeat to Spain in the World Cup final left a deep hurt that will take time to heal.
Ferran Torres’ extra-time goal in New Jersey on Sunday dashed Argentina’s hopes of defending the title, denying Messi the chance to complete his illustrious career with a second World Cup title, Xinhua reported.
The 39-year-old is not expected to play in the 2030 World Cup, although he has not yet announced any plans to retire.
“This pain is very deep and this wound will take time to heal. However, I still remember all the good things.”
“A match that we won by giving it our all, a moment that will remain in our memories forever and the support of the entire country combined with the hard work and effort of this group, brought us back to being among the best teams in the world,” Messi wrote on social media.
Messi finished the tournament with eight goals and four assists, with some arguing he was unlucky not to win the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player.
The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star also praised his teammates and expressed pride in the team’s achievements.
“It’s hard to truly appreciate our achievements at this point, but this group has managed to reach two consecutive World Cup finals.
“Thank you for every greeting and message. Once again, we have succeeded in uniting the country and together in sharing great pride as Argentines.”
“I also want to congratulate Spain for winning this tournament,” said Messi.
— BERNAMA-XINHUA
