Dhaka, Oct. 8 -- Lionel Messi has blamed the "physical and emotional" exertion of Argentina's semi-final victory over England for their subpar display in the 2026 World Cup final, ESPN reports.

The 2022 champions failed to register a single shot during normal time against Spain in the final on Jul 19, eventually falling to a 1-0 defeat after extra time.

Reflecting on the tournament following his final international appearance in Tuesday's friendly win against Benin, the 39-year-old explained how close the squad came to fulfilling their ultimate ambition.

"We had a dream, my dream and the whole country's dream of becoming world champions again," Messi told ESPN. "The match against England really drained us. Physically and emotionally, i...