Argentina captain Lionel Messi has broken his silence after his side’s heartbreaking defeat to Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final in the United States.

The Inter Miami FC forward admitted that the loss would be difficult to overcome while expressing pride in his team’s achievements.

Messi, who did not speak to reporters after Sunday’s final in New York, shared his first reaction online on Monday following Argentina’s 1-0 extra-time defeat.

PUNCH Online reports that Spain claimed their second World Cup title courtesy of Ferran Torres’ extra-time winner in a match where Argentina struggled to create clear-cut chances, with their first shot on target arriving in the 117th minute.

Reacting to the defeat on his Instagram page on Monday, Messi described the pain of losing the final as immense but said he would cherish the journey that took Argentina to a second successive World Cup final.

“The pain is so great, and it’s going to be hard for me to close this wound. But I’ll keep all the good stuff too… With the matches we turned leaving everything and that will remain forever in the memory, with the support of an entire country that together with the work and effort of this group led us to be, once again, among the best in the world,” Messi wrote.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner praised his teammates for reaching back-to-back World Cup finals, despite falling short of retaining the title they won in Qatar four years ago.

“Today it’s hard to evaluate what we did, but this group reached two consecutive World Cup finals.”

Messi also thanked Argentinians for their unwavering support throughout the tournament.

“Thank you very much from the heart for every greeting and for every message. Once again we managed to unite as a country and be all together, sharing the immense pride of being Argentinian.”

The 39-year-old concluded his message by congratulating Spain on their triumph.

“I also want to congratulate Spain on the championship,” he said.

Argentina entered the tournament as defending champions after lifting the trophy in Qatar in 2022. Although they fell short in their bid to retain the title, Lionel Scaloni’s side became the first team since Brazil in 1998 to reach consecutive men’s World Cup finals.

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French football legend, Zinedine Zidane, has reportedly signed a deal to become the new head coach of the French national team until June 2030.

Transfer expert, Fabrizio Romano,  made the claim in a post shared on Facebook on Tuesday, saying the former Real Madrid manager would be officially unveiled in the coming days.

“Zinedine Zidane has signed as the new France coach until June 2030. The story has been confirmed as Zizou will be unveiled as the new head coach in the next days — back to work with France,” Romano wrote.

According to the Italian journalist, Zidane is expected to lead France in the 2027 UEFA Nations League, Euro 2028, and the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

Romano ended the post with his trademark phrase, “Here we go, confirmed.”

Zidane, 54, has been without a coaching role since leaving Real Madrid in 2021 after a second spell in charge of the Spanish giants.

During his time at Madrid, he won three consecutive UEFA Champions League titles between 2016 and 2018, as well as two La Liga crowns and several other domestic and international trophies.

The 1998 World Cup winner has long been linked with the France job and was widely considered a potential successor to Didier Deschamps, who has managed Les Bleus since 2012.

Deschamps is expected to leave the role after the 2026 World Cup cycle, and Zidane has long been linked with the France job and has publicly expressed interest in coaching the national team.

As of the time of filing this report, the French Football Federation had not issued an official statement confirming Zidane’s appointment.

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The Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Kash Patel, has said the United States recorded no major security incidents during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, describing the tournament as the largest sporting event in history.

Patel disclosed this in a post on his official X handle on Sunday, praising the coordinated efforts of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in securing the tournament.

According to him, the competition shattered previous attendance records and was successfully staged across the United States without any major security breach.

“The 2026 FIFA World Cup was the largest sporting event in the history of the world, shattering the previous attendance record by double digits. America — we got it done, ZERO major security incidents across our nation while we hosted the equivalent of 78 Super Bowls in 38 days, along with 40 base camps, endless fan zones, and celebrations in nearly every state,” Patel wrote.

He credited President Donald Trump for prioritising security preparations ahead of the tournament, noting that the White House FIFA Task Force was established about 16 months before the competition.

“President Trump promised his administration would deliver the safest, most secure, and fun environment for FIFA. He started by establishing the White House FIFA Task Force some 16 months ago, and we got right to work,” he said.

Patel disclosed that the FBI committed nearly 5,000 personnel from its headquarters, field offices and international offices across the 16 host cities, describing it as the bureau’s largest-ever deployment for a single event.

“This FBI led the charge, dedicating nearly 5,000 personnel to the effort out of HQ, field and international offices across 16 host cities. None of what we accomplished is possible without our federal, state and local partners who all put in the same relentless effort. It’s the largest resource dedication the FBI has EVER made for any event,” he added.

According to the FBI director, the agency established a Joint Operations Centre, an International Police Coordination Centre, and an Intelligence Coordination Centre to facilitate real-time intelligence gathering and information sharing throughout the tournament.

He also revealed that the FBI created the first-ever counter-unmanned aircraft systems training school for law enforcement officers ahead of the World Cup, adding that authorities seized more than 700 drones that entered restricted airspace around FIFA venues.

“We established the first-ever counter-UAS drone school, training members of law enforcement from across the country for the World Cup. We seized over 700 drones near FIFA airspace,” Patel said.

He added that security agencies also managed other major national events held during the same period, including UFC 250, SAIL 250 and State Fair 250, while ensuring the World Cup concluded safely.

“President Trump’s leadership set the course; he led the way, and this FBI and our partners rose to the challenge. Thanks to all our partners, FIFA, the Department of Homeland Security, the White House FIFA Task Force and its Director, Andrew Giuliani,” Patel stated.