Lionel Messi posts heartbreaking message to fans after Copa America humbling

The Argentine superstar was clearly devastated to have lost a second major final in as many years with the national team, and the manner of Saturday's defeat - a 4-1 penalty shootout loss against Chile - will have only made things harder to take.

Messi was "destroyed" after the match, according to team-mate Ezequiel Lavezzi, who said after the match that, "Leo is one who feels these frustrations most because he is the best and all eyes are on him."

And while the Barcelona forward has yet to speak in depth about his despair, he hinted at his feelings while posting this message to fans via Facebook: "There's nothing more painful in football than losing a final. But I don't want to leave it any longer to say thank you to everyone who has always supported us and continued to during the tough moments."

The clearly heartfelt message might not offer much detail, but it does hint at the depths of despair that Messi has sunk to as the realisation is clearly hitting him that his best chances of winning a major tournament have now passed him by.

For a player with a country so used to collecting international titles, that will be too much to take. Fans across the world will still rate Messi among the best ever to play the game, but in his native Argentina will he ever be considered alongside 1986 World Cup winner Diego Maradona?