Lionel Messi has broken his silence on the “immense pain” he is feeling after Argentina’s World Cup final defeat to Spain.
Messi was visibly distraught after missing out on back-to-back titles in what will surely be his final World Cup appearance, with the Argentinian hero turning 39 this tournament.
His side failed to lose with much dignity, with a mass brawl breaking out at full-time as Leandro Paredes threw punches at the celebrating Spanish players.
But Messi has now taken to Instagram to post an emotional statement, less than 24 hours out from that gut-wrenching failure in New Jersey.
"The pain is immense, and it will take time for this wound to heal. But I also hold on to all the good," he said.
"The matches we turned around, giving our all, matches that will forever remain in our memories, the support of an entire country that, together with the hard work and effort of this group, led us to be, once again, among the best in the world.
"Today it's hard to fully appreciate what we accomplished, but this group reached two consecutive World Cup finals.
"Thank you from the bottom of my heart for every greeting and every message. Once again, we managed to unite as a country and be together, sharing the immense pride of being Argentinian.
"I also want to congratulate Spain on winning the championship."
Messi did not confirm whether he would retire from international football after Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni cast doubt on the forward’s future.
“He is 39 years old, it is unbelievable,” Scaloni said in a tearful press conference. “It was always crystal clear to me that he would play until he chose to stop and that everyone would support him.
“I hope everyone is proud of him, because he is the best football player ever to set foot on a pitch.”
Messi scored eight goals and made four assists in a fantastic campaign for Argentina.
The 1-0 defeat to Spain, courtesy of an extra-time strike from Ferran Torres, was the only match he failed to contribute a goal in.
