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Lionel Messi's fellow Argentine Leandro Paredes confessed that the 2026 World Cup final defeat "hurt deeply," revealing he had spent the entire tournament believing Argentina's skipper had already made up his mind to retire from international football this summer.
Messi and his teammates were largely invisible during a flat loss to Spain at MetLife Stadium last weekend. Paredes perhaps left the biggest impression, though for entirely the wrong reasons and only after the final whistle had sounded.
Just four days removed from that altercation in New Jersey, the 32-year-old completed the full 90 minutes of Boca Juniors' Copa Sudamericana clash with Chile's CD O'Higgins on Thursday, providing the assist for the match's only goal with a sublime lofted pass. While every Argentina player avoided post-match press duties following the World Cup final, Paredes made himself available to speak in the depths of La Bombonera.
"It hurts because I think we said it throughout the World Cup: we didn't want Leo's last game to come. I think he had already decided that it would be his last game with the national team," Paredes told DSports.
"Hopefully not—hopefully he can keep playing," the composed midfielder added in an attempt to ease the somber mood. "It'll be his decision, and whatever he decides, if it makes him happy, it'll make us happy too. So let's hope so."
Despite Paredes's apparent conviction, other sources have indicated that Messi's international journey may not yet be over.
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Messi has yet to make any public statements regarding his future. The possibility of the 2030 World Cup remains on the table, however slim those chances of reaching that tournament might be.
TyC Sports' highly connected reporter Gastón Edul is firmly convinced that Messi has not yet played his last international match. His confidence stems from claims that none of those closest to the player were informed this would be his final World Cup during the tournament, and that the competition itself served as a motivational target for Messi.
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The expectation is that Messi will still feature when Argentina return to competitive action during the extended September international window. That date sits close enough on the calendar to serve as a realistic goal for the 39-year-old before any definitive decisions are made. Performing against a modest opponent in a friendly before a passionate Buenos Aires crowd would be a far more appropriate farewell for Messi than departing in tears after failing to force Unai Simón into a single meaningful save.
"After a tournament like this with all the usual highs and lows, I think you reassess everything," admitted Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni—whose own future remains shrouded in uncertainty.