After a 16-year wait, Spain has once again claimed the FIFA World Cup title. Gerard Piqué, a member of the 2010 winning squad, congratulated the national team while also expressing sympathy for his former Barcelona teammate, Messi.

Piqué was a key player for Spain at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and while playing for Barcelona, he developed a friendship with Messi. The Argentine team, led by Messi, lost in the final two weeks ago at MetLife Stadium in the United States.

"Losing a FIFA World Cup final is incredibly tough. Messi has once again proved himself to be the greatest player in history. He scored many goals and helped the team reach the final. Although he didn't win the championship, I believe he is very proud of his achievements," Piqué said on Monday during an ESPN interview while attending the Kings League Club FIFA World Cup.

Messi is the player with the most wins in FIFA World Cup history (23 matches). At this tournament, he appeared in 8 matches and scored 8 goals, marking his final FIFA World Cup appearance.

Regarding the rivalry between Messi and Ronaldo, Piqué added: "For me, Messi and Ronaldo have staged a brilliant and distinctly different duel over the past 15 years. I think these are clearly the final years of their careers, but in this FIFA World Cup, we still saw that they are capable of playing great matches." Ronaldo also set a new record, becoming the first player to score in six FIFA World Cups (2006 to 2026).

Piqué then analyzed the Spanish team's performance: "Spain played exceptionally well in the semi-final against France; they deserved the victory and proved that they are the best national team in the world." He was referring to the semi-final match in which Luis de la Fuente's team defeated France 2-0.

"Both generations of players have famous young talents. France has Mbappé, Doué, and Dembélé. The same goes for Spain, with Lamine Yamal, Pedri, and Cubarsí..." Piqué continued.

Looking ahead, Piqué concluded: "Let's see what the future holds. The French team is changing coaches, and it seems Zidane is coming in, so it remains to be seen what impact this will have on the next European Championship and the next FIFA World Cup."

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