Messi played his last match for his country against Benin Republic on Tuesday 6 October, at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
By Kehinde Okeowo
Inter Miami striker Lionel Messi has opened up on why Argentina were unable to defend their World Cup title against Spain during the 2026 edition of the tournament.
The Argentina legend made the revelation recently after donning his country’s jersey for the final time against Benin Republic.
During the World Cup final, the Albiceleste, who were the defending champions at the tournament, failed to record a shot across 90 minutes.
The South Americans then went on to lose the one-sided encounter 1-0 to Spain in extra time.
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After the match, there were conspiracy theories surrounding why Argentina performed poorly against Spain, including speculation that the players and their families faced external threats or pressure to perform or yield prior to the final.
However, while reflecting on the defeat, Messi blamed his and his teammates’ below-par performance in the final on the “physical and emotional” toll of their 2026 World Cup semi-final clash against England.
He said: “We had a dream, my dream and the whole country’s dream of becoming world champions again.
“The match against England really drained us. Physically and emotionally, it was exhausting, and the truth is we arrived at the final running on fumes.”
