AFA President Praises Messi and Argentina After World Cup Final Loss to Spain
AFA President Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia has praised Lionel Messi and the Argentina squad after their 1-0 extra‑time defeat to Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, insisting the team gave everything for the nation.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Tapia thanked the players, coaching staff and back‑room team for their efforts throughout the tournament, urging Argentinians to hold their heads high and keep dreaming.
He added that he is proud of the squad, the coaching team, the collaborators and everyone involved in the campaign.
The loss also saw Argentina equal an unwanted World Cup record, having finished as runners‑up four times, matching Germany’s tally of final defeats in the competition’s history.
Argentina’s previous final losses came in 1930, 1990 and 2014, while Germany was runner‑up in 1966, 1982, 1986 and 2002.
Furthermore, Lionel Scaloni’s side became the first team in World Cup final history to fail to register a single shot during the 90 minutes of regular time.
Spain’s winning goal came from substitute Ferran Torres, making him only the second substitute ever to score in a World Cup final, after Mario Götze’s 2014 strike against Argentina.
The victory extended Spain’s unbeaten run to 38 matches across all competitions, comprising 29 wins and nine draws, surpassing Italy’s previous European record of 37 games unbeaten between 2018 and 2021.
Spain now holds the longest unbeaten streak by any European or South American men’s national team.
About the Author
