Why Lionel Messi and 10 Other Argentina Stars Snubbed Bus Parade After World Cup
- Lionel Scaloni and 15 of Argentina's 26 World Cup squad members returned to Buenos Aires for an open-top bus parade after finishing as runners-up
- Lionel Messi flew separately to Rosario rather than join his teammates, with 10 other players also staying behind in the United States
- Messi broke his silence on Instagram, saying the pain of losing the World Cup final to Spain was 'so great' it would be hard to close the wound
Lionel Messi and 10 of his Argentina teammates did not join the national squad's homecoming bus parade through Buenos Aires after the side returned from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where they finished as runners-up following a 1-0 defeat to Spain in the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday.
Ferran Torres struck in the 106th minute to hand Spain the championship, ending Argentina's campaign in painful fashion.
Source: Getty Images
The aftermath of the final was marked by significant controversy, with FIFA launching an investigation into conduct involving Argentina players.
Leandro Paredes clashed with Gavi, Nicolas Otamendi and Rodri exchanged heated words, and an opposition coach struck Dani Olmo.
Messi flies separately to Rosario
Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni and 15 of the 26-man squad touched down at Ezeiza International Airport in Buenos Aires, where supporters gave them a warm reception before the group boarded an open-top bus for a parade through the capital. Messi was not among them.
The 39-year-old instead took a separate flight, landing at Islas Malvinas International Airport on Tuesday morning before travelling to his home city of Rosario.
He was joined in his absence from the parade by Rodrigo De Paul, Cristian Romero, Julian Alvarez, Geronimo Rulli, Juan Musso, Nico Paz, Giuliano Simeone, Lautaro Martinez, Nahuel Molina, and Enzo Fernandez, all of whom remained in the United States.
Messi addresses World Cup heartbreak
Twenty-four hours after the final whistle, Messi posted a personal message on Instagram acknowledging the scale of the loss.
Despite finishing the tournament with eight goals and four assists, he was not awarded the Golden Ball, which went to Spain's Rodri.
"The pain is so great and it's going to be hard for me to close this wound," he wrote, before adding: "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."
He went on to reflect on the squad's achievement in reaching back-to-back World Cup finals and extended his congratulations to the winning side: "I also want to congratulate Spain for the championship."
Speculation has mounted that the final in New Jersey represented Messi's last appearance in an Argentina shirt, meaning his international career would have concluded with a defeat in the tournament's showpiece match at the age of 39.
How much FIFA made from World Cup
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that the 2026 FIFA World Cup became the most commercially successful tournament in history, generating record revenue for FIFA.
The tournament earned about $15 billion, exceeding FIFA's original projection of $11 billion by roughly $4 billion.
Source: YEN.com.gh
