New pictures of Lionel Messi‘The team’s pre-match and half-time talks have led to arguments that Argentina have entered the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals with more than just defending their title.The newly released footage, which was taken inside the players’ lounge and in the hallway before Sunday’s match against Spain, has raised eyebrows after Messi repeatedly urged his teammates to “forget everything” and just focus on the ball. The footage has gone viral after Argentina suffered one of their worst defeats under Lionel Scaloni, eventually losing 0-1 after extra time to Spain at the MetLife Stadium.While Spain dominated throughout, Argentina failed to register any serious threats for long, with their first shot only coming in injury time.
Messi’s repeated messages raise questions
The first video, taken minutes before the players left the dressing room, shows Messi trying to calm down a visibly agitated group.“Shut up, let’s be calm, boys. Let’s think about playing, nothing else. Be calm. Let’s forget everything, let’s forget everything. Let’s try to play,” the Argentine captain told his teammates.Another video from the street captured Messi giving a similar message before kick-off.“Come on guys, let’s forget what happened, if nothing happened,” Messi was heard telling his teammates.The statement immediately caught the attention of fans, especially since several players – including Lisandro Martinez and Enzo Fernandez – looked shocked and surprisingly defeated.Martinez was later injured in the first half, while Fernandez was sent off late on after receiving a second yellow card.
One-half meeting with Emiliano Martinez
Messi’s dominance continued at this point as the television cameras picked up some encouraging words before Argentina came back in the second half.“Come on, guys. Personality, people, personality. We’ve always had it, so why wouldn’t we have it now? We have the personality to play,” urged Messi.Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez also tried to encourage the team with the same emotional message, saying, “It’s heart, guys. Let’s go forward, not back… Only cowards play backwards.”Despite the loud cheers, Argentina fought back and forced themselves before Ferran Torres finally found the winner in the 106th minute.The unusual nature of Messi’s comments has sparked a lot of speculation on social media. Adding to the mystery, Scaloni said after the finish that “things happened” before the game but refused to explain “out of respect for the competition.”
Psychological effects
Messi later revealed his defeat in a heartfelt Instagram message.“The pain is great, and it will take time for this wound to heal,” he wrote. “But I’m keeping all the best … the team reached the final of the World Cup twice in a row.”Midfielder Rodrigo De Paul has also spoken out against accusations related to Argentina’s competition, criticizing those who spread “absurd conspiracy theories” during the World Cup.At this point, the appearance of the virus has only intensified the attack. Messi’s repeated pleas to “forget everything” went unanswered.