Lionel Messi tells Argentina stars to ‘relax and forget everything’ in cryptic message moments before World Cup final

New footage shows Lionel Messi telling his Argentina teammates to ‘forget about everything else’ moments before their World Cup final defeat.

The football icon was unable to inspire his country to back-to-back World Cup titles on Sunday as they were beaten 1-0 by Spain after extra-time in a one-sided final.

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Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal in the 106th-minute, as La Roja finally made their possession and man advantage count.

But their victory was marred by ugly scenes afterwards, with a mass brawl breaking out when Argentina’s players were involved in a series of bust-ups, which saw Leandro Paredes initially sent off having thrown punches.

Messi was left heartbroken by the defeat in New York, breaking down in tears after receiving his World Cup runners-up medal.

At 39, there is widespread speculation that he could have played his last match for Argentina.

The sporting great is yet to make an announcement on his international future, but some believe he may have informed his teammates of just prior to kick-off.

‘Concentrate on playing’

Newly released footage of the moments leading up to Sunday’s final has led to many question what was said in the Argentina dressing room before the game.

In a video captured by Argentine television company RLC Noticias, Messi can be seen addressing his teammates as they prepare to head out down the tunnel, who all appear downbeat.

He tells the players: “Let’s go, boys, [let’s keep] calm people, calm. The main thing is for us to remain calm, boys, that we remain calm.

“Let’s just concentrate on playing, nothing else – calm, okay? Forget everything else.

“Let’s just play, let’s just concentrate on playing. Let’s go.”

Messi’s cryptic message has led to speculation over whether Argentina were in the right frame of mind heading into the final.

It is currently unclear what exactly the Albiceleste captain was telling his teammates to forget about, although some believe it could be in response to him announcing his international retirement to them.

This would perhaps explain the emotionally charged performance from the 2022 world champions in the final.

While they were typically aggressive, this boiled over in the latter stages, with Enzo Fernandez being sent off towards the end of normal time.

And Argentina lost all composure after the final whistle, as an ugly brawl unfolded, which saw Paredes throw punches at Gavi and Eric Garcia, while Nahuel Molina struck Spain captain Rodri.

Meanwhile, others have pondered whether Messi had been urging his teammates to ignore the accusations of preferential treatment they had faced throughout the tournament.

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The last dance?

After what was almost certainly his last ever appearance at the World Cup, Messi released an emotional statement.

He wrote on Instagram: “The pain is immense, and it will take time for this wound to heal. But I also hold on to all the good.

“The matches we turned around, giving our all, matches that will forever remain in our memories, the support of an entire country that, together with the hard work and effort of this group, led us to be, once again, among the best in the world.

“Today it’s hard to fully appreciate what we accomplished, but this group reached two consecutive World Cup finals.

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

“I also want to congratulate Spain on winning the championship.”

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Messi scored eight goals and assisted another four for Argentina in their World Cup run – only failing to contribute against Spain.

He hinted at possible retirement before kick-off as his boots for the final had ‘El Ultimo Tango’, which is ‘The Last Tango’, written on them.

However, he is under contract at Inter Miami until December 2028, and there is nothing concrete in regards to him calling it quits.