Lionel Messi arrived in Rosario early on July 21 by private jet with his wife and three children, returning home after Argentina lost the World Cup final to Spain 1-0 after extra time on July 19 [1, 2, 3, 4]. At 39, Messi scored eight goals in the tournament, second only to Kylian Mbappe's 10, and became only the second man after Brazil’s Cafu to appear in three World Cup finals (2014, 2022, 2026) [1, 2, 3, 4].
Messi owns a house in a gated community in the nearby city of Funes, where he usually stays on visits and remained for a short break after skipping the team's return to Buenos Aires [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. Most of the rest of the Argentina national squad and coach Lionel Scaloni landed in Buenos Aires on July 20 and were welcomed by thousands of fans with flags, cheers, fireworks, and a military band at Ezeiza airport [5, 6, 8, 7].
Despite the loss, many Argentinians praised the team’s run, especially the semifinal 2-1 victory over England, given the ongoing Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute between the two countries [5, 8]. Yet Argentina faced criticism for aggressive fouls and poor sportsmanship in the semifinal and final matches [5, 8, 7].
At the Buenos Aires Obelisk on the evening of July 19, thousands gathered to celebrate and thank the team, but brief clashes with police led to 15 arrests [5, 8]. President Javier Milei announced plans for a national holiday to honor the squad’s performance, with the date to be chosen by the players [8, 7]. Milei defended Messi's decision to skip the team’s Buenos Aires return, saying, "Sometimes it's very difficult to grasp the historic significance of what they've achieved... Let's respect his decision" [7].
Messi acknowledged the pain of the loss but also the pride in the team's effort, saying, "The pain is immense and it’s going to take a long time for this wound to heal. But I’ll also hold on to all the good memories... the support of an entire country which... led us to be, once again, amongst the best in the world" [1].
The Argentina team has no scheduled matches announced yet after the tournament, with attention on the coming days as the players decide on the timing for the planned national holiday.
