Argentina defeated England 2-1 in the FIFA World Cup semi-final, and Cristian Romero didn’t hold back against former England footballer Gary Neville after the match.
Neville had raised serious questions about the quality of Argentina’s defense ahead of the semi-final. The former England right-back was scathing in his analysis, saying, “Tottenham’s Romero and Lisandro Martinez are the best-worst central defensive pairing in the world today. Between them, they concede almost a goal a game.”
Argentina reached their second consecutive final after eliminating England on Wednesday night, and Argentina’s defenders didn’t miss the chance to give Neville a fitting reply after the match.
“We were quite annoyed because they talk too much,” Romero said in an interview with the Latin American television network D-Sports. “People in England talk too much before matches, so we wish them well — they must be very happy now!”
Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez spoke next, insisting that such criticism no longer surprises his team. “We are used to it,” he said. “They like to talk about us, and we give our answer on the pitch.”
The most scathing and pointed response came moments later, when Romero directly addressed Neville’s comments. Without mincing words, Romero said, “I just hope that after I retire, I don’t become as foolish as Neville, criticizing other players. On the pitch, everyone tries to give their best, and there can be good days and bad days. We are very happy to be in a final and to make history.”
Argentina fell behind 1-0 in the 55th minute of the match at Atlanta Stadium in the United States through a goal from Anthony Gordon. Argentina equalized in the 85th minute through Enzo Fernández, before Lautaro Martínez scored in the second minute of added time, sparking wild celebrations among the Albiceleste.
Romero was in an aggressive mood throughout the match. After England took the lead, goalkeeper Jordan Pickford made a controversial celebratory gesture. Later, when Enzo Fernández equalized, Romero celebrated wildly in front of Pickford. Then, as the final whistle blew, he looked at Jude Bellingham and celebrated in a provocative manner.
With this victory, Argentina have qualified for the World Cup final for the second consecutive time. The Albiceleste will face Spain in the bid for back-to-back titles on Sunday at 1am Bangladesh time.
