“The greatest pain is that we couldn’t bring the World Cup back home to our country. If anyone deserved to live that feeling again, it was you.” Rodrigo De Paul wrote on social media after Argentina’s heartbreaking 1-0 defeat to Spain in the final, admitting that the loss will hurt for a long time.

Spain controlled the match from the beginning till the end, dominating ball possession for most of the match. Lionel Scaloni’s side struggled to build through midfield, and did not manage to score, with Ferran Torres’ 106th-minute goal proving to be the clincher for Spain.

De Paul said the bond between the team and the fans goes beyond the trophy, and that this shared identity is what he is holding on to as he processes the defeat.

“There were so many people waiting for us to fall, but that only made us stronger. Their attacks, their conspiracies, and their hate only proved how much our smiles and our way of being bother them.”

De Paul’s message closed with his love for the shirt and his country: “Today more than ever, I am proud to be Argentine.”

Published on Jul 22, 2026