Midfielder Enzo Fernandez has defended the conduct of the Argentina players following their World Cup final defeat, asserting that the team represented their nation "in the best possible way." His comments come after former England internationals criticized the players' actions after the match.
Former England captain Alan Shearer described some actions as "terrible," citing an incident where a player "threw two or three haymakers into someone's face." He added, "We know how much it means to them and we know how much it hurts to lose, but there is a way to lose. Too many times we have seen that from Argentina."
Ex-England goalkeeper Joe Hart echoed these sentiments, calling the behavior "disgusting" and stating that the team "can have absolutely no complaints about what happened."
Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni attempted to de-escalate the situation in his post-match interviews. "We are gracious in victory, and we must be gracious in defeat. Today, we are showing that we know how to lose," Scaloni said. "We lost the match, and we accept it, but that doesn't mean we stop living or forget everything we did to get here."
Argentina, winners of the World Cup in 1978, 1986, and 2022, had a strong tournament in North America. They won their initial seven matches against Algeria, Austria, Jordan, Cape Verde, Egypt, and Switzerland before their loss to Spain in the final. The team had notable comeback victories, including scoring three late goals against Egypt after being down 2-0, and defeating England 2-1 with late goals in the semi-final.
Speculation has arisen in Argentine media regarding Scaloni's future as manager, with some outlets suggesting this could mark the end of an era. Lionel Messi, the team's talisman, expressed his deep disappointment on social media, stating, "The pain is immense, and this wound will take time to heal. But I also hold onto all the good things." Messi is unlikely to participate in another World Cup.