fresh shots Lionel MessiTeam talks before the game and at half-time reignited debate over whether Argentina go into the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals with a bigger baggage than the defending champions.The newly revealed footage, recorded in the dressing room and tunnel before Sunday’s final against Spain, has sparked widespread speculation among fans after Messi repeatedly urged his teammates to “forget everything” and focus on football. Argentina produced one of their most subdued performances under Lionel Scaloni before losing 1-0 to Spain after extra time at MetLife Stadium, a clip of which went viral.Although Spain dominated throughout the match, Argentina failed to pose a meaningful offensive threat for long periods of time, with their first shot not coming until overtime.
Messi’s repeated remarks have raised questions
The first footage, taken shortly before the players left the dressing room, showed Messi trying to calm a team that looked unusually nervous.“Calm down, let’s stay calm, boys. Let’s think about the game and nothing else. Stay calm. Let’s forget everything, let’s forget everything. Let’s focus on the game,” the Argentina captain told his teammates.Another clip from the tunnel captured Messi delivering a similar message before kick-off.“Come on, kids, let’s forget what happened and act like nothing happened,” Messi told his teammates.The wording immediately caught the attention of supporters, particularly as several players, including Lisandro Martinez and Enzo Fernandez, appeared visibly emotional and unusually subdued.Martinez later went off injured in the first half, while Fernandez was sent off after receiving a second yellow card later in normal time.
Half-time rally with Emiliano Martinez
Messi continued his leadership during the break, with TV cameras showing another inspirational speech before Argentina returned for the second half.“Come on, lads. Character, people, character. We’ve always had it, so why don’t we have it now? We have the personality to play,” Messi urged.Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez also tried to inspire his team with a similarly passionate message, saying: “Lads, put your mind to it. Let’s move forward, not backwards… Only cowards move backwards.”Despite the chants, Argentina struggled to show their quality and Ferran Torres scored the winning goal in the 106th minute.The unusual nature of Messi’s comments sparked many theories on social media. Scaloni said after the final that “something happened” before the game, but he refused to reveal details “out of respect for the event,” adding to the mystery.
emotional consequences
Messi later reflected on the defeat in an emotional message on Instagram.“The pain is immense and the wounds will take time to heal,” he wrote. “But I also retain all the good things…this team has reached two World Cup finals in a row.”Midfielder Rodrigo De Paul also dismissed accusations surrounding Argentina’s participation in the World Cup, criticizing those spreading “baseless conspiracy theories” during the tournament.For now, the viral video has only heightened curiosity. Messi’s repeated pleas to “forget everything” remain unexplained.
