Messi denounces anti‑Argentina media attacks after World Cup loss

In the packed Estadio Monumental, as the final whistle of the World Cup final faded, Lionel Messi stepped up to the microphone. He warned that the Argentine Nacional had endured a flood of denigrating campaigns on social media and on several domestic television channels in recent months.

Wave of online and TV attacks

Messi said the campaigns were CONTRA los que generaron las REDES, accusing them of spreading falsehoods that the team had turned their backs on España in the Mundial 2026 final, that the group “knew something” and therefore lost, and that the players were racist and discriminatory. He described the nonsense as circulating “like ants” across the networks. Both foreign social‑media accounts and domestic television channels were blamed for creating fake news.

Messi’s rebuttal and call for unity

In his farewell appearance, Messi echoed coach Lionel Scaloni’s earlier defence, stating, “The last World Cup was too much with everything I lived. We had my dream and the whole country of being world champions.” He added, “We were very close, nothing strange happened as they say. The match against England was a huge emotional strain for all of us.” MESSI stressed that the team’s effort deserved respect.

He warned that “difficult moments will come, because it is not easy what we have achieved. That is when we must stay united more than ever. Many people want the Argentina national team to fail and we must not give them the pleasure.”

Messi’s comments aim to silence the anti‑Argentina narrative and reinforce the squad’s unity after a historic but heartbreaking campaign that saw Argentina finish runners‑up to Spain.