Is there a more devoted fanbase in international football than Argentina’s? Sunday’s scenes after the FIFA World Cup 2026 final defeat to Spain once again made that question difficult to answer.Rather than leaving in silence after the 1-0 extra-time loss, Argentina supporters stayed back to cheer their team. They sang their football anthems, chanted “Messsiii, Messsiii” around the stadium and applauded the players long after the final whistle.The same emotion was visible thousands of kilometres away in Buenos Aires, where supporters gathered around the city’s Obelisk to thank the team despite the defeat. Their message was simple: “Gracias iguales.”ALSO READ: Lionel Messi exits FIFA World Cup in tears and as football’s greatestFans had held on to hopes of another comeback until the final whistle. But once Spain sealed victory, disappointment gradually gave way to appreciation for a campaign that had once again taken Argentina to the World Cup final.At the Obelisk, the traditional meeting point for football celebrations in the Argentine capital, supporters who had assembled hours before kick-off first stood in silence before breaking into songs in honour of the team.“We reached the final, and that’s no small achievement,” said 20-year-old student Luciano Ortega with a smile, as quoted by Buenos Aires Times.As the evening progressed (local time), more fans poured into the square. Drums, fireworks, firecrackers and car horns filled the air as supporters continued chanting despite the result.Argentina President Javier Milei also praised the team, posting on X: “Thank you very much, players! You fought until the very end. Argentina always at the top.”In Rosario, Lionel Messi‘s hometown about 300 kilometres northwest of Buenos Aires, hundreds gathered at the Monumento Nacional a la Bandera to salute the team after the final.The monument was lit in Argentina’s national colours as supporters waved flags, wore national team shirts and held photographs of Messi while fireworks lit up the night sky.“We’ve already won a World Cup. We shouldn’t just cry, we should celebrate. Messi already took us to the top of the world,” Sergio Irrazábal, who attended with his family wearing a light-blue-and-white wig, told AFP.South American football governing body CONMEBOL also acknowledged the scenes, posting a video of the celebrations on X with the caption: “Despite the result, Argentina valued its team’s campaign.”Spain’s victory gave them their first World Cup title since 2010 and extended Luis de la Fuente’s side’s unbeaten international run to a European-record 38 matches.For Argentina, the defeat ended an impressive title defence that began after lifting the trophy in Qatar four years ago. It also came in what is widely expected to be Lionel Messi’s final appearance at a World Cup.Even after the defeat, the mood across Buenos Aires reflected pride more than disappointment. Supporters chose to celebrate a team that reached another World Cup final and remained in the contest until Ferran Torres scored the extra-time winner that settled the match.
