Lionel Messi did not hide his deep disappointment over Argentina’s defeat in the World Cup final, but he chose to focus on the moments, the effort, and the unity that defined the national team’s run.

In a post, the captain of the “Albiceleste” emphasized that the pain is immense and that it will take time for the wound to heal, but he emphasized that he is holding on to all the positives from a journey full of great moments.

“The pain is immense; it will take time for this wound to heal. But I choose to hold on to all the good things—all the games where we turned things around by giving it our all, and all those moments that will remain in our memories forever.

I will always remember the support of an entire country, which, together with the hard work and effort of this team, brought us back among the best teams in the world.

Today it’s hard to fully appreciate what we’ve achieved, but this team has truly reached two consecutive World Cup finals.

I thank you from the bottom of my heart for every message and every greeting. Once again, we’ve managed to come together as a nation and share the immense pride of being Argentine.

“I also want to congratulate Spain on winning the World Cup,” Messi said.

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A post shared by Leo Messi (@leomessi)

*photo source: AP