Lionel Messi has said the pain of Argentina's World Cup final defeat is "immense" and will take a long time to heal.
"I'll also hold on to all the good memories," Messi wrote in Spanish on Instagram.
He shared the post alongside a photograph of himself wearing his runners-up medal following the extra-time loss to Spain.
"Today it's hard to appreciate what we achieved, but this squad reached two consecutive World Cup finals. I'd also like to congratulate Spain on winning the tournament," he said.
The 39-year-old broke down in tears after the final whistle.
Argentina had fought their way through a difficult knockout stage to reach the final.
They came from behind to beat Egypt and England, and needed extra time to see off Cape Verde and Switzerland.
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"With the matches we turned around by giving our all matches that will remain in our memories forever and with the support of an entire country, which, together with the hard work and effort of this squad, led us to once again be among the best in the world," the Inter Miami forward wrote.
Messi scored eight goals during the tournament, but in the final itself, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner struggled to make an impact.
Much like the rest of his side, he found himself unable to trouble a better-organised Spanish team.
The defeat means Messi has now lost two World Cup finals, in 2014 and 2026, against a single triumph, in 2022, against France.
According to Argentinian media reports on Monday, Messi is not expected to travel back to Buenos Aires with the rest of the squad, in what is shaping up to be a subdued homecoming.
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