๐Lionel Messi on Argentina's defeat to Spain:
๐ฃ๏ธ "First of all, I want to congratulate Spain. They showed from the first minute that they wanted this title more than we did today. They played with great intensity, confidence and personality, and they deserved to win.
It was obvious that we didn't play the way we usually do. We had a game plan going into the match and Scaloni prepared us very well, but football is unpredictable. The intensity of the game forced us to change our approach at different moments, and we were never really able to find our rhythm or impose ourselves the way we normally can.
Spain made things very difficult for us. They controlled possession well, pressed us at the right moments and didn't allow us much space to play our football. Every time we tried to grow into the game, they responded well and showed why they've been one of the best teams in the tournament.
Of course, losing a final is painful because we came here to win and give everything for our country. But sometimes you have to accept when your opponent performs better than you. We didn't play a terrible game, but they simply played better than us today.
I'm proud of my teammates and everything we've achieved together throughout this tournament. We fought until the very end, and that's all you can ask for. Football gives you beautiful moments and difficult ones, and you have to respect both.
At the end of the day, I would say the better team won, and Spain deserve all the credit for their performance."