MOSCOW, June 30 (Xinhua) -- Argentina's press lamented the end of an era and questioned whether Lionel Messi would play in another World Cup after the Albiceleste's 4-3 loss to France on Saturday.
The result dumped two-time winners Argentina out of football's flagship tournament while France advanced to the round of 16 in Russia.
"Argentina lost to France and are eliminated. It is the team's worst performance at a World Cup since 2002," La Nacion said on its web portal.
Ole wondered if five-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi had the desire to play in another World Cup.
"With Argentina eliminated, the big question is whether Leo, already at 35, will go to Qatar in 2022," it said in an editorial.
The newspaper praised the performance of teenage forward Kylian Mbappe, who scored twice, devastating Argentina with his raw pace and power.
"France proved too much and gave us a reality check," Ole said. "It was a great match which went from 2-1 to 2-4 in the space of 11 minutes. Mbappe tore it apart. We hope this isn't the end for Messi."
Clarin said: "The dream is over: France showed no mercy toward Argentina and sent the team home. There was an angel overlooking Argentina which kept the team in the match until the end. But the result was inevitable."
It suggested the team would need to be rebuilt immediately with a new generation of young players.
"The last tango was in Kazan and it is time for a period of reconstruction," the newspaper opined. "The defeat to France marks the end of the cycle of a generation of players."
It added that Argentina had done well to reach the final of three major tournaments in recent years - the 2014 World Cup, the 2015 Copa America and the 2016 Copa America - despite having won nothing.
"Here [in Russia] we saw an indomitable Mascherano, pure heart and leadership. But it wasn't enough. Messi was bright and dark. Angel Di Maria was on and off. But there was no team, no game. There was courage and embarrassment until the powerful France put things in their place," it concluded.
