Messi makes first public appearance since World Cup final loss, attends fourth-tier match in Rosario

Rosario – Six days after the 0-1 World Cup final defeat against Spain, Lionel Messi (39) appeared in public for the first time. In his birthplace Rosario, the superstar attended a match between FC Leones de Rosario and Central Córdoba in Primera C, the fourth Argentine league.

Messi wore a thick winter jacket from supplier Adidas (it is currently winter in Argentina) and a hood over his head. Despite this, he was still recognized. Fans on site could not believe his visit — the greatest of all time attending a fourth-division match. He signed several autographs and watched Rosario's 0-2 defeat.

Wherever Messi appears, he has to sign autographs. This was also the case in the 4th Argentine league. Photo: instagram.com/433

Background: Post-Final Absence

This was the Argentine's first public appearance since the lost World Cup final. Immediately after the final whistle, Messi had left the stadium in East Rutherford (New Jersey) near New York without facing the media.

Messi was also absent from the reception in the capital Buenos Aires on Tuesday. The Argentine national team landed at the international airport without their superstar. From the airport, they continued in an open team bus to the nearby training ground of the AFA football association in Ezeiza — cheered by fans. According to consistent reports from local media, Messi flew to Miami after the final before traveling on to Rosario.

Speculation About National Team Future

The tournament in the USA was Messi's sixth World Cup for Argentina. When he later stood in tears in front of his own supporters, it fueled speculation about a possible end to his career in the national jersey.

Midfielder Leandro Paredes (32) hinted at Messi's retirement on Friday:

"I think he had already decided that it would be his last game for the national team as well. Hopefully not, hopefully he can continue playing. That will be his decision, whatever he does, it will surely make him happy and surely us as well, so hopefully, hopefully."

Messi himself, who had spoken out on Instagram a day after the final, left his future with the national team open. "The pain is immeasurable, and this wound needs time to heal," he wrote. In the decisive game of the football World Cup, he was able to give his team few impulses.