Before the 2026 World Cup final, Lionel Messi spoke to his teammates, and his speech sparked plenty of controversy, quickly going viral once the match had ended. Argentina’s 1-0 loss to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final left more behind than just the scoreline. In the hours after the match, a tunnel video capturing Lionel Messi‘s final words to his teammates before kickoff began circulating widely on social media, sparking a wave of speculation about what exactly the captain meant.
In the footage, Messi is heard telling his teammates: “Calm down, let’s stay calm, guys, let’s just think about playing, calm down, let’s forget about everything, let’s forget about everything, let’s just play“.
The clip showed a group of players who looked noticeably tense compared to how they had carried themselves throughout the rest of the tournament, with some visibly emotional in the moments before walking out onto the field. That contrast, paired with the vague wording of Messi’s message, was enough to send the video viral within hours of the final whistle.
Amid the growing noise, Carlos Mac Allister, father of midfielder Alexis Mac Allister, decided to step in and clear things up. Speaking in an interview with Radio La Red, he revealed that he had gone directly to his son for an explanation once the rumors started to spread.
Leo Messi telling the players before the game to “Stay calm” and “Forget about everything else.” “Let’s stay calm, boys. Forget about everything else. Forget about everything. Let’s just think about playing, that’s all.” pic.twitter.com/3LNI8WXaIi— All About Argentina 🛎🇦🇷 (@AlbicelesteTalk) July 20, 2026
Mac Allister’s father explanation
The Liverpool midfielder’s father admitted that even he briefly entertained doubts about what had happened in the dressing room, until his son’s answer put those theories to rest.
“For some journalists, it’s hard to understand that behind a defeat there’s simply a team that played better than you. You end up latching onto something, and the worst part is that it spreads. Yesterday I asked Alexis if something had happened, and I started to doubt it myself…” he began explaining.
He then detailed exactly what his son told him about the conversation in the dressing room. “He told me they talked about going out to play in the footballing sense, to keep it on the ground, keep the ball moving, build triangles, and not just lump it forward. That’s what they were referring to. Since then, a lot of doubt has come up over these past few days because of that post that went around, and a lot of people have reached out to me about it,” Mac Allister concluded.
The theories circulating on social media
Messi’s brief, vague message was enough for fans to build several narratives around it. Some linked it to lingering tension from the build-up to the final, pointing to comments exchanged between both camps and the ongoing debate over the officiating.
Other interpretations suggested that Messi had given a farewell-style speech before the match, and that his words caught on camera to his teammates were meant to encourage them and have them forget what had been discussed earlier.
However, Mac Allister’s account puts those theories to rest, confirming that the exchange in the dressing room was strictly about the game plan, not anything beyond it.