Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes has spoken for the first time since his side lost to Spain by 1-0 in extra time in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final, thanking fans while expressing his disappointment at missing out on the title.
Paredes, who was involved in a physical confrontation after the final whistle, has now shared an emotional message on Instagram on Tuesday.
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"Today it's time to write with a lot of pain in the soul for not having been able to give them that joy that our country so deserves, but with the chest full of pride for giving everything we had and leaving our flag once again on the highest stage!", Leandro Paredes wrote on Instagram.
"Thanks to everyone who was part of this national team, to this group of players who gave their lives to represent this shirt until the very last second of every game! It was an honor to be part of the best Argentine national team in history!!", he added.
The Argentine midfielder was among the players involved in a brief scuffle after the match ended. Television replays showed Paredes appearing to punch and grab Spain defender Eric Garcia by the throat.
When Spanish substitute Gavi stepped in, Paredes pushed him to the ground before players from both teams, along with Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni, moved in to handle the situation.
But there was no mention of the scuffle from Paredes, nor any apologies for the punches on Spanish players.
Spain lifted their second FIFA World Cup title after edging past Argentina 1-0 in extra time in a tightly contested final. Ferran Torres scored the only goal of the match in the 106th minute.
The final also marked another milestone for Lionel Messi, who became only the second player in history to appear in three FIFA World Cup finals after former Brazil right back Cafu.
Spain controlled possession for most of the game, which limited Argentina's chances and forced the defending champions to spend long periods without the ball.
Argentina failed to register a shot on target until the second half of extra time as Spain's midfield dictated the pace of the contest.
Messi's team's task became even tougher when Enzo Fernandez was sent off in stoppage time at the end of normal time after picking up a second yellow card for a challenge on Pau Cubarsi.
Spain thought they had taken the lead in the 96th minute through Nico Williams, but the goal was ruled out for a foul by Spanish midfielder Mikel Merino in the build-up.
The breakthrough eventually came 10 minutes later, when Nico Williams headed the ball into the path of Torres, who calmly fired a left-footed shot into the top corner to seal Spain's victory.
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