Lionel Messi left in 'immense pain' after Argentina's World Cup final defeat to Spain

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/spain/bLyo6mco/"]Spain[/a] beat [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/argentina/f9OppQjp/"]‌Argentina[/a] 1-0 after extra time [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/argentina-f9OppQjp/spain-bLyo6mco/?mid=UgbUKPmT"]in Sunday's ‌final[/a] in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/torres-ferran/AVAVLaLt/"]Ferran ‌Torres[/a] scoring the decisive goal to deny the ‌2022 champions back-to-back World Cup titles.[/p][p]The result ended Argentina's bid to become the first men's team ‌since [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/brazil/I9l9aqLq/"]Brazil[/a] in 1962 to retain ⁠the trophy.[/p][p]"[b]The pain ‌is immense and it's going to take a long ​time for this wound to heal[/b]," [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/messi-lionel/vgOOdZbd/"]Messi[/a] wrote on social media.[/p][p]"[b]But I'll also ​hold on to all the good memories… the support of an entire country which, together ⁠with the hard ​work and effort of this squad, led us to be, once again, amongst the best in the world[/b]."[/p][embed guid="c3c9da29-c76e-43ec-bc71-b1ba9e875f3e" url="https://www.instagram.com/p/DbBdI-3MFdh/" social-type="instagram" /][p]Messi, 39, also congratulated Spain and said ‌Argentina could take pride in reaching consecutive World Cup finals. He became only the second player, after Brazil's Cafu, to appear in three men's World Cup finals, having played in the deciders in 2014, 2022 and this year.[/p][p]The [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/inter-miami/0AheRyBg/"]Inter Miami[/a] forward remains Argentina's most decorated player, having led the country to the 2022 ‌World Cup, Copa America titles in 2021 and ​2024, and the 2022 Finalissima. He is ‌also an eight-times Ballon d'Or winner and widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers.[/p][p][b]"Once again, we managed to come together as a country and stand united[/b]," Messi ⁠added, "[b]sharing the immense pride ⁠of being Argentine[/b]."[/p][infobox id="4ccc1b10-d68f-4c97-bcf4-5e613c17c2e3" /]