In Buenos Aires, fans at the Cafe Relax bar watched with tears in their eyes as the final whistle blew on Argentina's 1-0 defeat to Spain in the World Cup. The most poignant sorrow came from the realization that this was almost certainly 39-year-old Messi's last shot at a World Cup. "I feel empty. Empty because of Messi, because I won't see him in a World Cup again. This is the last one," said Camilo Cichero, a 22-year-old architecture student comforting his crying friend.
Despite the defeat, thousands of fans made their way to the iconic Obelisk, the traditional place for football celebrations. President Javier Milei expressed his gratitude to the players on X, writing, "Thank you so much, players!!! You fought until the very end. Argentina will always stand tall."
Argentina had a scrappy run in the World Cup, built on a series of narrow victories, and fans were confident they could secure a second consecutive victory in the final in New Jersey. Draped in their blue-and-white flag and donning the national football jersey, they braved an icy cold day to pack bars and public squares, fizzing with excitement at the start of the game.
In the Cafe Relax, nervous energy and excited chants gave way to tension by half-time. Angry shouts at the screen were interspersed with excited chants, and some fans sat arms folded, feet tapping, and chewing their nails or burying their heads in the flag. A dramatic extra-time goal by Ferran Torres cast a pall of silence over the bar for the last agonizing minutes.
In Messi's hometown of Rosario, hundreds gathered to celebrate the player and his team with fireworks and chants. "We've already won a cup. We can't just break down in tears -- we have to celebrate. Messi has already put us at the very top of the world," said Sergio Irrazabal.
