The men's soccer World Cup final posed a sporting conundrum for people in Barcelona. They celebrated Spain's victory. But their hearts will always have a place for Argentine superstar Lionel Messi.

The final whistle drew rapturous cheers at a public viewing event in the Catalan capital. The organizers say 30,000 people attended. Many more watched the same big screen from outside the venue.

Spain's Ferran Torres scored the winning goal in the 106th minute. The public viewing event was a sea of red shirts, but there were also flashes of blue and white because Messi, Argentina's talisman, is arguably FC Barcelona's greatest-ever player.

After the game, one supporter said: "I'm really happy. This is great!" Another said: "I was still little when Spain won the World Cup in 2010, and this was my first time to watch the final. It was very moving."

There were also plenty of kind words for Messi. One person described him as a wonderful player, and said it's sad to see him lose.

Another said, "I felt really sorry for Messi because he is the best player ever and has made many people happy."

nhk