Lionel Messi urged his youthful compatriots to keep their “heads held high” after Argentina were beaten by Morocco in the final of the U20 World Cup.
Argentina have a rich history in FIFA’s prestigious youth tournament. Messi was the star of the side in 2005, finishing the competition as top scorer, best player and with a brace in the final. That triumph came during a run of five tournament wins in the space of seven U20 World Cups.
The current Argentine generation are highly rated, managing to make it to Sunday’s final despite being without two of their standout players from this age bracket; Bayer Leverkusen’s Claudio Echeverri and Real Madrid starlet Franco Mastantuono were not released by their clubs.
“Heads held high, boys!” Messi wrote on Instagram in the aftermath of a 2–0 defeat. “You had an impressive tournament, and although we all wanted to see you lift the cup, we were left with the joy of everything you gave us and the pride of seeing how you defended the sky blue and white with your heart.”
Ultimately, the final proved one step too far for Diego Placente’s Argentina. Yassir Zabiri scored twice in the opening half-hour at Chile’s National Stadium in Sunday’s final to take the game away from Argentina. Morocco, whose senior side are enjoying a rich vein of form after reaching the 2022 World Cup semifinals, celebrated joyously.
The night sky in Rabat was filled with flares and blaring car horns to mark Morocco’s first-ever triumph at this level. “We feel immense happiness,” head coach Mohamed Ouahbi gushed. “We remember all the challenges we went through to reach this stage and break barriers.”
Argentina’s Placente wasn’t too disheartened himself. “I’m happy to have reached the final; it was clear this team was ready to play for something big,” he told assembled media.
“It’s a process in which we were able to build a great team. The kids have a lot of potential. When you face a tournament with the national team, you try to be there until the very last day, and we achieved it.”
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As much as Argentina were hoping to return to the summit of youth soccer, the defense of their senior World Cup crown is of far more importance. Messi’s involvement in next summer’s global jamboree is yet to be confirmed—the player himself has offered no assurances—but those close to the reigning world champion are confident he will be in north America.
“I think he’s going to go to the World Cup,” Javier Saviola, Messi’s former teammate for club and country told El Gráfico. “I’m more than sure of that.
“He’s playing, and you can see he wants to gain confidence and minutes to be at his best for the World Cup. I see him eager, involved, enjoying himself.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Lionel Messi Sends Heartfelt Message to Argentina After U20 World Cup Final.