Lionel Messi says World Cup final wound 'will take time to heal'

Argentine great Lionel Messi opened up about the World Cup final defeat to Spain, saying he will take time to recover from the loss. Title holders Argentina froze on the big stage in New Jersey as Spain clinched the title after substitute Ferran Torres struck in the 106th minute, denying Messi the chance to lift back-to-back world titles. Messi, who has likely played his last World Cup , thanked his teammates and fans in a post on Instagram, and also congratulated Spain. “The pain is immense, and this wound will take time to heal,” Messi wrote in the post. “But I also hold on to all the good things. The matches we turned around by giving it our all – moments that will remain in our memories forever – and the support of an entire country which, combined with this group's hard work and effort, brought us back among the world's elite once again. It is hard to fully appreciate our achievement right now, but this group reached two consecutive World Cup finals.” Argentina missed the spark that had pushed them to the title in Qatar, where they defeated France on penalty kicks following a 3-3 draw. Argentina looked likely to defend that title after battling past England in the semi-finals. But they fell short against a solid Spanish defence that held them without a shot on goal. Messi, who turned 39 during the tournament and will be 43 during the next World Cup in 2030, thanked his supporters without making any statement about his future. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart for every greeting and message,” Messi added. “Once again, we managed to unite as a country and stand together, sharing the immense pride of being Argentine. “I also want to congratulate Spain on winning the championship.” Still, it was a special World Cup for Messi who took his World Cup goals tally to 21, although he was overtaken by Kylian Mbappe (22). With the World Cup now over, Messi is set to take a much deserved break. According to reports, Messi and Inter Miami FC teammate Rodrigo De Paul will not play in the next two games for the MLS club. Messi and De Paul played in all eight matches for Argentina in the World Cup. Both players are set to miss the MLS All-Star Game on July 29. Meanwhile, governing body Fifa appointed a disciplinary and ethics prosecutor to investigate the post-match brawl that erupted after Spain's 1-0 extra-time victory over Argentina. Tensions boiled over after Spain secured their second World Cup title courtesy of an extra-time winner from winger Torres. Argentina had already been reduced to 10 men in the 93rd minute of normal time when Enzo Fernandez was sent off for a second yellow card. At the final whistle, Argentine midfielder Leandro Paredes clashed with several Spanish players, including defender Eric Garcia and midfielder Gavi, leading to a brawl between the teams. The players had to be physically separated, with Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni trying to calm down the players at the end of the ill-tempered match.

Lionel Messi says World Cup final wound 'will take time to heal'

Argentina great congratulates Spain on title win