Lionel Messi, 39, shared his feelings a day after losing to Spain in the 2026 North and Central America World Cup final.
On the 20th (local time), Messi wrote on his Instagram, "The pain is too great. It seems it will take a long time for this wound to heal."
Argentina lost 1-0 to Spain in the final the previous day and failed to achieve back-to-back World Cup titles.
Messi said, "Right now it's hard to properly assess what we have achieved, but our national team reached the World Cup final for the second straight time."
He added, "There were games where we poured everything in and turned them around, games that will remain in memory forever," and "With the support of the entire nation and the hard work of the squad, we once again reached the very top level in the world."
Argentina advanced to the final by stringing together dramatic wins in the knockout stage.
They won after extra-time battles in the round of 32 against Cape Verde and the quarterfinals against Switzerland. They came from behind to win in the round of 16 against Egypt and the semifinals against England.
They also pushed for a late twist in the final but could not break through Spain's wall.
Right after the match, Messi sat blankly on the pitch for a while. He then looked toward Argentina's section and burst into tears, and left the field without a word despite repeated interview requests from reporters.
Through Instagram, Messi said, "I sincerely thank everyone who sent warm greetings and messages," and "We once again united as a nation and shared the immense pride of being Argentine."
He added, "I also want to extend congratulations to Spain, the champions."
Holding the record for most World Cup appearances, Messi played in all eight of Argentina's matches in this tournament, recording 8 goals and 4 assists. His career World Cup totals are 34 matches, 21 goals and 12 assists.