Is there a more devoted fanbase in international football than Argentina? The scenes on Sunday after the final defeat of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Spain have once again made this question difficult to answer.Rather than leave in silence after the 1-0 loss in extra-time, the Argentine supporters were back to cheer their team on. They sang their football anthems, chanted “Messiii, Messiii” around the stadium and applauded the players long after the final whistle.The same emotion was visible thousands of miles away in Buenos Aires, where supporters gathered around the city’s Obelisk to thank the team despite the defeat. His message was simple: “Thank you anyway.”READ ALSO: Lionel Messi exits the FIFA World Cup in tears and as the greatest in footballFans had hoped for 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 finals.At the Obelisk, the traditional meeting point for football celebrations in the Argentine capital, supporters who had gathered hours before kick-off first stood in silence before breaking into song in honor of the team.“We made it to the finals, and that’s no small feat,” said 20-year-old student Luciano Ortega with a smile, as quoted by the Buenos Aires Times.As the evening progressed (local time), more fans lined up. Drums, fireworks, firecrackers and car horns filled the air as supporters continued to sing despite the result.The president of Argentina, Javier Milei, also praised the team, posting in X: “Thank you very much, players! You fought until the end. Argentina always on top.”In Rosary, Lionel MessiThe hometown of about 300 kilometers northwest of Buenos Aires, hundreds gathered at the National Monument to the Flag to greet the team after the final.The monument was lit up in Argentina’s national colors as supporters waved flags, wore national team shirts and held pictures of Messi as fireworks lit up the night sky.“We’ve already won a World Cup. We shouldn’t just cry, we should celebrate. Messi has already taken 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 soccer’s governing body CONMEBOL also acknowledged the scenes, posting a video of the celebrations on X with the caption: “Despite the result, Argentina has evaluated 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 international unbeaten run to a European record 38 matches.For Argentina, the defeat ended an impressive title defense 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 World Cup appearance.Even after the defeat, the mood across Buenos Aires reflects pride more than disappointment. The supporters chose to celebrate a team that reached another World Cup final and stayed in the contest until Ferran Torres scored the extra-time winner that settled the match.