{"id":6987,"date":"2026-07-20T03:06:49","date_gmt":"2026-07-20T03:06:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/?p=6987"},"modified":"2026-07-20T03:06:49","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T03:06:49","slug":"after-a-heartbreaking-defeat-what-comes-next-for-messi-and-argentina","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/?p=6987","title":{"rendered":"After A Heartbreaking Defeat, What Comes Next For Messi And Argentina?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"subnav-title ff-ffc bold fs-23 lh-25 uc pd-b-10\">\n            POPULAR SEARCHES\n          <\/p>\n<p class=\"subnav-title ff-ffc bold fs-23 lh-25 uc pd-b-10\">\n            BROWSE BY\n          <\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-a2155f14><strong>NEW YORK NEW JERSEY STADIUM \u2013 <\/strong>After what seemed like every player from Spain came over to shake his hand, Lionel Messi sat alone on the pitch.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-a2155f14>Argentina\u2019s superstar took off his cleats and shinguards and plopped his legs out in front of him, leaning back on his arms. As FIFA volunteers assembled the stage for the trophy presentation, one of them waved in his direction. Messi looked past him, instead scanning the stands for his family.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-a2155f14>Spain had just defeated defending champion Argentina 1-0 to win its second-ever World Cup behind a goal from Ferran Torres in the second half of extra time. Messi and his La Albiceleste had arrived in pursuit of history, hoping to become the first nation since Pel\u00e9&#8217;s Brazil to successfully win a second consecutive World Cup title.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-a2155f14>No such luck. Argentina finished with zero shots on goal. Spain had 12 and one went in.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-a2155f14>&#8220;We\u2019re sad,&#8221; Argentine manager Lionel Scaloni said in his press conference after the match. &#8220;We feel extremely grateful to all our fans, all those people who just needed that energy that we were lacking. We managed to go all the way to the end when the match was so open, and it just couldn&#8217;t be. In the end, they deserved the victory. That\u2019s reality. We need to accept it.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-a2155f14>&#8220;But these are the moments to bounce back stronger. We need to reset and start again.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-a2155f14>Argentina&#8217;s reign is officially over. It entered this summer on an unprecedented high as the two-time defending Copa Am\u00e9rica champion, having won the tournament in 2021 and 2024 with the 2022 World Cup sandwiched in between. It was also Argentina\u2019s third World Cup final appearance in the last four editions.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-a2155f14>For Messi, there was an added layer of symbolism as he spent much of his life in Spain, where he became a global icon playing for Barcelona.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-a2155f14>So, will this be the last time the soccer world sees Messi on its biggest stage? Who knows.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span>(Photo by Jose Breton\/Pics Action\/NurPhoto via Getty Images)<\/span> <\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-a2155f14>Regardless of what he decides, the 39-year-old defied age over the past 39 days. He opened the tournament with a hat trick in Argentina&#8217;s 3-0 victory over Algeria, scored a stunning equalizer in the round of 16 against Egypt and delivered two defense-splitting assists in the semifinal against England. He finished with eight goals and four assists, narrowly missing out on the Golden Boot after France&#8217;s Kylian Mbapp\u00e9 scored twice in Saturday&#8217;s third-place match to finish with 10.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-a2155f14>Sunday was different. With Spain controlling possession for long stretches, Argentina was chasing rather than dictating and Messi didn\u2019t have opportunities to influence things the way he had throughout the tournament. An already exhausted La Albiceleste was forced to play with 10 men for more than 30 minutes after Enzo Fern\u00e1ndez was shown a red card just before extra time. Goalkeeper Emiliano Mart\u00ednez, the 2022 Golden Glove winner, had to make a World Cup final-record 11 saves with a broken finger just to keep La Roja at bay.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-a2155f14>&#8220;I do have to be thankful for this group because they were warriors and that is the truth,&#8221; Scaloni said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-a2155f14>After the game, Scaloni was asked repeatedly about Messi\u2019s future.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-a2155f14>&#8220;It\u2019s crystal clear to me that he will play up until he decides not to,&#8221; said Scaloni, who had not yet spoken with Messi before addressing the media. &#8220;I hope everyone is proud of what he\u2019s achieved because he\u2019s the best football player ever to step foot on a pitch. I have no doubts about this. What he did this World Cup is incredible.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-a2155f14>As the trophy presentation stage came together, Messi rose from the turf and led his teammates to the left side of the pitch where Spain\u2019s players were celebrating. He didn\u2019t appear to say a word. Instead, he stood quietly, taking it all in. His hands rested behind his back, the captain\u2019s armband still wrapped tightly around his left biceps. Every so often, a photographer stepped in front of him, capturing another image that would soon be seen around the world.<\/p>\n<p><span>(Photo by Bradley Collyer\/PA Images via Getty Images)<\/span> <!--&gt;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-a2155f14>There was criticism, mostly throughout the knockout stage, that FIFA wanted Argentina to keep advancing. In reality, no matter what Egypt or England fans might say, Argentina was a resilient team. Time and again, they\u2019d find themselves trailing only to respond with remarkable late comebacks. They embraced the suffering and the chaos and just knew they\u2019d find a way to win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-a2155f14>In the end, only Spain \u2013 the most complete squad in the entire 48-team field who only conceded one goal the entire tournament \u2013 could stop them. La Roja are now unbeaten in 38 consecutive matches.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-a2155f14>\"It really hurt in our soul not being able to take the trophy with us,\" Scaloni said. \"But we feel so proud of having competed like this. We could have been in better shape towards the end. But still, even so, we were very close to competing and making it and we\u2019re so proud of our players. And that\u2019s all we can ask for is Argentina players to give it their all until the end and that\u2019s what they did.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-a2155f14>Scaloni, whose contract as manager expires in December, said he \"cried my heart out in the locker room\" and grew visibly emotional again toward the end of his press conference while talking about the success he\u2019s experienced in this job, a post he\u2019s held since 2018.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-a2155f14>\"I never in my life would have thought, bear with me,\" Scaloni said, pausing to compose himself. \"I never could have imagined that we would be in this place. In order to continue, you need a great deal of things, especially resetting your mind, rebooting, creating a group like this again.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-a2155f14>\"That is very difficult. It\u2019s really painful.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-a2155f14>Messi took a deep breath and guided his team through a tunnel of Spain players onto the presentation stage where FIFA president Gianni Infantino and President Donald Trump placed silver medals around their necks.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-a2155f14>Argentina then walked past the World Cup trophy that they hoisted four years ago, across the stage and over to the south end of the stadium where thousands of devoted supporters draped in blue and white were still chanting and singing.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-a2155f14>The video board zoomed in on Messi\u2019s face, tears welled in his eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-a2155f14>After a while, he led the team off the field and through the tunnel. Perhaps for the last time.<\/p>\n\n--><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>POPULAR SEARCHES BROWSE BY NEW YORK NEW JERSEY STADIUM \u2013 After what seemed like every player from Spain came over to shake his hand, Lionel Messi sat alone on the pitch. Argentina\u2019s superstar took off his cleats and shinguards and plopped his legs out in front of him, leaning back on his arms. As FIFA [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":6986,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6987","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-soccer"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6987","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6987"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6987\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6986"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6987"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6987"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6987"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}