Unreleased footage has surfaced showing Argentina's preparations ahead of the World Cup final, including a speech by Messi.
Argentina lost 0-1 to Spain in Sunday's final. However, the scoreline didn't fully reflect the game, with Spain managing 20 shots on goal compared to Argentina's mere 3.
Messi shed tears on the field, unable to win a second World Cup title after winning the championship in 2022.
However, the latest footage shows what Messi said to his teammates before stepping onto the pitch at the New Jersey Stadium in New York.
A video showing Argentine players standing outside the locker room shows the Inter Miami forward encouraging his teammates.
However, the 39-year-old player's words also sparked online speculation, with some questioning whether the team had encountered any problems before the final.
In the video, Messi says, "Come on, guys, calm down, everyone."
"Stay calm, guys. We're just focused on playing football, stay calm."
"Forget everything. Let's just focus on playing football, friends."
The phrase "forget everything" led some fans to speculate that something might have happened before the match.
Messi was in tears after the final and then expressed his pain over the defeat.
He said, "The pain is too great, and it's hard for me to heal this wound."
"But I will also remember all the good things... those moments in the games when we gave it our all will stay in my memory forever. The support of the whole country, coupled with the hard work and dedication of this team, has allowed us to once again be among the best in the world."
"It's hard to say what we've done today, but this team has reached the World Cup final twice in a row."
"Thank you so much for every greeting and every message. I am truly grateful to you all."
"We have once again united this country, we are all together, and we share the immense pride of being Argentinians. I also want to congratulate Spain on their victory."
