In his first public comments since Argentina’s defeat to Spain in the World Cup final—which has earned so much criticism for the team’s conduct during and after the match, Lionel Messi pointed towards the unforgettable highs his nation had enjoyed in what he still ranked as a mightily successful tournament.Messi passed through the mixed zone after Sunday’s loss without comment. The Argentine offered few words to anyone, even passively watching on while his teammates sparked a scrap with their Spanish counterparts after the final whistle. That ugly brawl combined with some gamesmanship across other rounds of the competition made Spain a popular champion for 2026. Former Germany international Toni Kroos, who beat Argentina to win the World Cup in 2014, captured the opinion of many when he posted on social media: “Football won.”The loss that Argentina suffered was a deep blow for Messi, though. “The pain is immense,” he posted on Instagram less than 24 hours after the final, “and it’s going to take time for this wound to heal. But I’ll also hold on to all the good memories...”Messi Looks Back on Positives of Argentina’s World Cup RunArgentina came into the final with a reputation for never giving up. As manager Lionel Scaloni put it: “This team plays best when facing adversity.”Cabo Verde twice equalized against the defending champion only to have its spirit crushed for a third time at the death. Egypt was 2–0 up with less than 15 minutes remaining, and England was in front in the 85th minute, yet both were foiled without even the need for extra time.“The games we turned around by giving it our all—games that will remain in our memories forever—and the support of an entire country, which, together with the hard work and effort of this team, brought us back, once again, among the best in the world,” Messi pointed to. “Today it’s hard to fully appreciate what we accomplished, but this team reached two consecutive World Cup finals.“Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for every greeting and every message. Once again, we managed to come together as a country and stand united, sharing the immense pride of being Argentine.“I also want to congratulate Spain on winning the championship.”Where Does This Argentina Team Rank Among the All-Time Greats?Lionel Messi and Argentina aimed to defend their 2022 World Cup title against Spain on Sunday. | Erick W. Rasco/Sports IllustratedArgentina couldn’t quite follow in the footsteps of Vittorio Pozzo’s Italy (1934–38) or the Brazil of Pelé and Garrincha (1958–62) by winning consecutive World Cups, but the feat of reaching back-to-back finals is pretty scarce itself.It’s only been achieved on seven prior occasions, with each of those sides boasting a place in the roll-call of elite international outfits.Every Nation to Reach Consecutive World Cup FinalsTeamSpanArgentina2022–26France2018–22Brazil1994–2002 (x3)West Germany1982–90 (x3)Argentina1986–90Netherlands1974–78Brazil1958–62Italy1934–38The most striking comparison for Argentina, perhaps, is with itself. Four years on from Diego Maradona’s glorious apogee with the national team in 1986, the magisterial left-footed captain dragged the same team with the same manager to the final once again. On the second occasion, he would be outdone by a cold calculating European powerhouse in an underwhelming final.Messi can’t escape Maradona’s shadow for long. After the high of 2022, another stellar campaign four years later has ultimately ended in heartbreak. READ THE LATEST WORLD CUP NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FCAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow