New footage at: Lionel MessiThe pre-match and half-time team talks reignited the debate over whether Argentina entered the 2026 FIFA World Cup final carrying more baggage than the weight of defending their title.The newly emerged videos, recorded inside the players’ dressing room and tunnel ahead of Sunday’s final against Spain, have prompted widespread fan speculation after Messi repeatedly told his team-mates to “forget everything” and just focus on football. The footage went viral after Argentina produced one of their best performances under Lionel Scaloni, eventually losing 0-1 after extra time to Spain at the MetLife Stadium.While Spain dominated proceedings throughout, Argentina failed to register a meaningful attacking threat for long periods, with their first shot only coming deep into the hour.
Messi’s repeated message raises questions
The first video, filmed moments before the players left the dressing room, shows Messi trying to calm down an incredibly tense squad.“Calm, let’s stay calm, lads. Let’s think about playing, nothing else. Stay calm. Let’s forget about everything, let’s forget about everything. Let’s focus on playing,” the Argentina captain told his teammates.Another clip from the tunnel captured Messi delivering a similar message moments before kick-off.“Come on, guys, let’s forget what happened, it’s like nothing happened,” Messi was heard telling his teammates.The words immediately caught the attention of the supporters, especially because many players – including Lisandro Martinez and Enzo Fernandez – appeared emotional and unusually sad.Martinez was later forced off injured in the first half, while Fernandez was sent off late in normal time after receiving a second yellow card.
Half-time rally with Emiliano Martinez
Messi’s lead continued at the interval as television cameras captured another motivational speech before Argentina came back in the second half.“Come on, guys. Personality, people, personality. We’ve always had it, so why don’t we have it now? We have the personality to play,” urged Messi.Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez also tried to inspire the squad with an equally passionate message, saying, “With heart, lads. Let’s move forward, not backward… Only cowards play backward.”Despite the rallying cries, Argentina struggled to impose themselves before Ferran Torres finally scored the winner in the 106th minute.The unusual nature of Messi’s comments has given rise to many theories on social media. Adding to the mystery, Scaloni said after the final that “things happened” before the match but declined to elaborate “out of respect for the tournament.”
Emotional consequences
Messi later reflected on the loss in an emotional message on Instagram.“The pain is great, and it will take time to heal this wound,” he wrote. “But I also keep everything good … this group has reached two consecutive World Cup finals.”Midfielder Rodrigo De Paul also rejected accusations surrounding the run of the tournament in Argentina, criticizing those who spread “baseless conspiracy theories” during the World Cup.For now, the viral footage only deepens the intrigue. Messi’s repeated pleas to “forget everything” remain unexplained.