Jakarta, ThedailyID — Former England defender Gary Neville criticized Argentina’s performance after the team lost 1-0 to Spain in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Ferran Torres scored the winning goal in extra time to secure Spain’s second World Cup title. Argentina struggled throughout the match and relied heavily on goalkeeper Emiliano “Emi” Martínez, who made 10 crucial saves to keep the scoreline close.
Neville said he admired Argentina during the tournament but believed the defending champions delivered one of their weakest performances in the final.
“I’ve said before that I admire them, but they were very poor yesterday. Let’s be clear, they played badly,” Neville said, according to the Daily Mail.
He added that Argentina’s defensive approach deserved recognition only if it had produced results. Instead, he argued that Spain dominated the match and deserved the victory.
Neville also claimed Argentina would not have reached consecutive World Cup finals without Lionel Messi. The veteran forward scored eight goals during the tournament and remained the team’s driving force in attack.
“They have incredible chemistry and competitiveness, but they also have an outstanding player up front who carries them through,” Neville said. “Without Messi, they would struggle to reach the same level.”
Former England striker Ian Wright also reacted to the final. He admitted he felt sorry for Messi after seeing the Argentine captain in tears but said Spain fully deserved to lift the trophy.
“I was sad to see Messi crying because you could see how much the final meant to him,” Wright said. “But I’m happy for Spain.”
Spain controlled much of the final with its possession-based attacking football, while Argentina created few clear chances despite reaching a second consecutive World Cup final.
