Argentine President Javier Milei has asserted that citizens of his country are envied because they are "good at almost everything," a statement made in the wake of the national football team's World Cup final defeat. Milei, who is known for his libertarian views and previously stated that the Falkland Islands would always be Argentine, reportedly watched the final from home due to superstition.
In a now-deleted tweet originally scheduled to celebrate a victory, Milei had intended to announce a national holiday. The president stated, "The problem with Argentina is that we are flashy, we don't go unnoticed, people are jealous of us, and we are good at almost everything. I'm sorry, but someone had to say it."
Milei has publicly disagreed with the consensus on Argentina's performance in the World Cup final against Spain, where the team lost 1-0 and had only two shots on goal. He suggested that refereeing decisions were unfavorable to Argentina. "The match was extremely difficult for us on Sunday, and yet Argentina could have grabbed an equaliser in the final minutes, even though the run of play was not at all favourable to Argentina," Milei told LN+.
He further described the team's conduct as measured and distinguished, despite FIFA investigating the team for their behavior after the final whistle. Incidents included midfielder Leandro Paredes grabbing Spain's Eric Garcia by the neck and Nicolas Otamendi engaging in a verbal altercation with Spain's Rodri. Otamendi has since retired from international football.
The controversy surrounding Milei's premature celebration tweet highlights a challenging period for the president, whose popularity has declined amidst corruption allegations and a recent resignation from his cabinet chief. Milei assumed the presidency in 2023. Argentina's football team, while unable to replicate their 2022 World Cup victory, has reached three finals in the last four editions of the tournament.