Lionel Messi breaks his silence on Argentina’s World Cup heartbreak with emotional statement – after snubbing interviews in the wake of brutal loss to Spain
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41'
Yellow card Lisandro MARTINEZ (Argentina) is booked by
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52'
Yellow card Leandro PAREDES (Argentina) is booked by
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82'
Yellow card Enzo FERNANDEZ (Argentina) is booked by
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90'+2'
Yellow card Cristian ROMERO (Argentina) is booked by
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90'+3'
Red card Enzo FERNANDEZ (Argentina) is booked for
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105'
Yellow card Lionel SCALONI (Argentina) is booked by
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106'
Goal Ferran TORRES (Spain) scores!!
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111'
Yellow card Alexis MAC ALLISTER (Argentina) is booked
Spain squad
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8 Fabian RUIZ Midfielder
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10 Dani OLMO Forward
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12 Pedro PORRO Defender
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14 Aymeric LAPORTE Defender
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15 Alex BAENA Midfielder
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16 RODRI C Midfielder
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19 Lamine YAMAL Forward
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21 Mikel OYARZABAL Forward
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22 Pau CUBARSI Defender
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23 Unai SIMON Goalkeeper
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24 Marc CUCURELLA Defender
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1 David RAYA Goalkeeper
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2 Marc PUBILL Defender
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3 Alex GRIMALDO Defender
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4 Eric GARCIA Defender
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5 Marcos LLORENTE Defender
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6 Mikel MERINO Midfielder
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7 Ferran TORRES Forward
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9 GAVI Midfielder
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11 Yeremy PINO Forward
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13 Joan GARCIA Goalkeeper
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17 Nico WILLIAMS Forward
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18 Martin ZUBIMENDI Midfielder
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20 PEDRI Midfielder
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25 Victor MUNOZ Forward
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26 Borja IGLESIAS Forward
Argentina squad
- Selected
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3 Nicolas TAGLIAFICO Defender
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4 Gonzalo MONTIEL Defender
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6 Lisandro MARTINEZ Defender
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7 Rodrigo DE PAUL Midfielder
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9 Julian ALVAREZ Forward
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10 Lionel MESSI C Forward
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13 Cristian ROMERO Defender
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15 Nico GONZALEZ Midfielder
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20 Alexis MAC ALLISTER Midfielder
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23 Emiliano MARTINEZ Goalkeeper
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24 Enzo FERNANDEZ Midfielder
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1 Juan MUSSO Goalkeeper
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2 Marcos SENESI Defender
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5 Leandro PAREDES Midfielder
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8 Valentin BARCO Midfielder
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11 Giovani Lo Celso Midfielder
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12 Geronimo RULLI Goalkeeper
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14 Exequiel PALACIOS Midfielder
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16 Thiago ALMADA Forward
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17 Giuliano SIMEONE Forward
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18 Nico PAZ Forward
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19 Nicolas OTAMENDI Defender
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21 Jose Manuel LOPEZ Forward
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22 Lautaro MARTINEZ Forward
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25 Facundo MEDINA Defender
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26 Nahuel MOLINA Defender
Lionel Messi has issued an emotional public statement addressing Argentina's World Cup final defeat to Spain, having initially avoided media interviews in the immediate aftermath of the loss. The intervention follows a bruising few days for the Argentine captain, during which pundits including Gary Neville and Jeff Powell publicly criticised both his side's performance and their conduct in what was widely described as one of the most ill-tempered World Cup finals in memory.
The provided article text consists largely of surrounding Daily Mail sport headlines and site navigation rather than the full body of Messi's statement, so specific quotes or details of what he said are not available here. Wider coverage referenced alongside the story notes heavy scrutiny of Argentina's display, with commentators suggesting Messi's reputation has been affected by the manner of the final, even as some argued the team would not have reached the showpiece without him.
In short
- Messi breaks silence after Argentina's World Cup final loss to Spain
- He had previously declined interviews following the defeat
- Pundits sharply criticised Argentina's conduct and performance in the final
Explained simply
Argentina reached the World Cup final but lost to Spain in what became one of the most controversial matches in the tournament's history. Lionel Messi, the Argentine captain and one of football's greatest players, had been instrumental in his team's path to the final.
The defeat proved particularly bruising because the match was marked by intense aggression and poor discipline from both sides. In the aftermath, pundits and commentators have questioned both the team's performance and its behaviour, with some suggesting that the manner of the loss has affected Messi's reputation despite his crucial role in getting Argentina to the final.