Lionel Messi has accepted that Argentina's 2026 World Cup extra-time defeat to Spain was a part of his football journey.
At an event in Oviedo, Spain, where on Friday evening he is set to receive the Princess of Asturias award for sport, Messi, 39, was philosophical about this summer's setback and about his experience with Argentina in his two decades with the national team.
"In football, winning is very difficult, and you have to appreciate the journey, because only one team can win," he said. "It happened to us in the final against Spain and in the final [1-0 defeat in extra-time to Germany] of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
"That's why the important thing is to be competitive and give it your all to win, even if you can't; to have competed to the point of reaching your goal and to feel satisfied because you gave it your all, regardless of the result."
Messi retired from international duty and played his final game for Argentina earlier this month, after scoring 126 goals in 208 appearances.
He won the 2022 World Cup and two Copa América titles during his team with the national team.
Prior to lifting his first major trophy with the national team, the 2021 Copa América, Messi had lost three straight finals at major competitions in a three-year span, the first at the 2014 World Cup to Germany.
Messi said he learned a lot from those defeats: "There are some very positive takeaways. To improve, you have to accept your mistakes and try to put them right. It's important to know how to win and how to lose.
"I think that's crucial in our sport because, at the end of the day, in football you lose more often than you win."
Messi also reflected on his career and how he would like to be remembered as someone that never stopped fighting to achieve his aims, regardless of the results: "Sometimes I succeeded, sometimes I didn't, but I never stopped trying to win everything that lay ahead of me," he told EFE.
The former Barcelona captain and eight-time Ballon d'Or winner is grateful for the chances afforded to him. Messi spent 20 years at Barcelona after arriving from Argentina as a young teenager.
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"There are many people with a lot of skills but fall by the wayside due to a lack of opportunities," the Argentine said.
Messi highlighted the strong bond he had with his father and agent Jorge, who passed away in August, saying that he learned the lesson of perseverance from him.
"To take the ball and give it a go, whether it went well or badly, not to dwell on it, because there was always one more move to try," Messi said of his father's mantra.