Argentina lost the final. Quite deservedly, the better team won: Spain. A group of Spaniards, many of them very young, overcame the player who had long been considered  a football’s favorite son: Leo Messi. Argentinians have much to be proud of, but also reasons for disappointment. As the national team enters a new cycle, the passage of time makes fundamental changes inevitable.

Argentina arrived at the final match exhausted. The team seemed to have no plan other than waiting for the right moment to push forward and find the goal, which came very close to happening. Sometimes that approach works, but a team cannot rely on a single providential play. Football is not built on knockouts. Argentina will need a younger, more cohesive team, and it has the talent to achieve that. Messi’s departure will undoubtedly be deeply missed, and the football world will miss him as well. Yet his absence will also create new opportunities to strengthen the team’s collective play. In that respect, the Spanish team provides a fine example: their teamwork shines beyond the brilliance of any individual stars.

The new squad will also need to find strong full-backs. That has been one of our weakest positions. We have promising young forwards, along with others who can still contribute for several more years.

We must also be self-critical about one very important issue: we cannot resort to gamesmanship, provocative fouls, or—least of all—post-match confrontations to vent our frustrations. These players are highly paid professionals, and every one of them should conduct themselves with the seriousness their profession demands. In that regard, some Argentine players did not leave a good impression, not at all. 

Messi, on the other hand, leaves us with the finest example: his dedication and his conduct. That is what should be emulated. It is a legacy for football as a whole, not only for Argentina. Messi now belongs to the universal history of the sport.

I would also like to add a few reflections on the broader context of this World Cup. Cuti Romero did not shake hands with Trump. I do not know whether it was deliberate, but regardless, the gesture reflected a broader collective sentiment towards an aggressor.

The regulations and entertainment spectacles imposed by FIFA in the name of commercial interests do not serve football well as a sport. Moreover, they further damage the organization’s already tarnished reputation, given the persistent allegations and rumors of corruption. FIFA’s political closeness to the President of the United States reached almost grotesque proportions. The so-called FIFA Nobel Peace Prize allegedly created to honor Donald Trump was, quite simply, tragically laughable.

Likewise, the way the United States treated the Iranian national team, or the African referee who was denied a visa, should never have been tolerated by FIFA. Football teams and professionals are not responsible for the public policies of their governments.

The halftime show merely disrupted the natural flow of the match. It should not exist, at least not during the halftime break of a World Cup final. The hydration break should also be reconsidered.

In any case, now it’s time to look ahead to the Copa America 2028!