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'The last of Messi': Argentines mourn loss and end of an era

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Argentina's fans are silhouetted as they stand atop a structure with an image of Lionel Messi in the background near the Obelisk after Argentina lost the FIFA World Cup final to Spain in Buenos Aires on July 19, 2026. [AFP]

Nervous excitement and rowdy cheers turned into anguished groans, nailbiting tension and tears, as Argentines' hope of yet another epic comeback led by Lionel Messi in the World Cup fizzled out against Spain.

At the Cafe Relax bar in the historic center of Buenos Aires, fans with tears in their eyes after the final whistle blew on the 1-0 defeat said that what saddened them most was that it was almost certainly 39-year-old Messi's last shot at a World Cup.

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