2026 FIFA World Cup: FINAL - Argentina vs. Spain

I'm gonna take you up on that.

 

I'll say it again, the fact this team was able to get as far as the final and took Spain to extra time is a tribute to their remarkable mental strength and tougness and sheer stubborness. What we lacked was the bit of qaulity we needed to actually win the final.

 

We've seen this even in 2022. From losing the opnener, almost being equalized by Australia, needed a shootout in QF & final after opponents tied the game. CA 2024, we also had matches like that againts Ecuador and Colombia. We all know suffering is part of Argentina's DNA.

2014 was much weaker. Every games feels like 200 minutes of torture (bar Nigeria game). 2 goals in 470 minutes at KO stage.... This 2026 team would have flattened that side. We scored 8 goals and 1 of them was an own goal.

 

The goals dried up in the knockout stages, just 2 goals in 4 games, 3 of which went to extra time.

 

Do we have an explanation on why Messi at a much younger age compared to 2022 and 2026 was less effective despite being at his prime and surrounded by better teammates in 2014 after the group stage? It's not like he was missing clear chances, I remember that. I think that 2014 team was the best, most balance squads he was a part of (not counting 2006 as he was too young) and deserved to win against Germany.

It's also very unfortunate that 2010 WC also was completely wasted from the goal stats point, he could easily have a total of over 30 goals in WC history as of today.

End of an era, to know we will never see him again in a World Cup is just sad.

 

I've often wondered that myself, in terms of world cups Messi reached his peak at the ages of 35 and 39! When I did force myself to watch the highlights of 2014 final again I noticed the body language of Messi BEFORE the game was terrible. He looked like a beaten man, perhaps he didn't have the fortitude at that time when it came to the NT, perhaps he didn't have that connection with his team mates the way he does with the current group, but something was off. Perhaps it was only really when he was stiched up by Laporta and had to leave Barca that he became a true Argentine

 

Exactly what I am thinking.

I think with RH my friend the expectation for any seleccion in a World Cup is to win it. Especially when we have the GOAT. It is no coincidence that with the 2 GOATs we reached five finals.

What is sad is we only won two. And we had chances to win in 2014 certainly but this final is a bitter taste because once we started chasing even with 10 we created pressure and chances. Oka so they were starting to hold out for the 1-0 but still.

To have such a negative attitude in Leo's final game rankles. He barely had a chance to show what he can do. To paraphrase TS Eliot thats how his career ends. Not with a bang but with a whimper.

We didn't play our game. We didn't apply pressure. You think Julian will have trouble with Laporte or that hunt Cubarsi ? We never gave him a chance either.

The set up and selections were wrong. Players were tired but again Scaloni went with the same team. It was madness. Apart from 2-3 times where the press forced them to kick long after a hydration break when the players had collected some more energy. You cannot expect Julian to press by himself.

A 3-5-2 would have helped immensely with the midfield battle and allowed cover on the flanks. Scaloni made a huge tactical blunder vis-a-vis his tactical masterstroke against France in 2022.

I do feel sorry for him in one sense as he is under enormous stress but his emphasis on loyalty to certain players cost him, cost Messi, cost the seleccion and cost the supporters another title. Barco controls that ball without issue into Julian and I doubt Julian misses.

And losing the Licha-Cuti partnership didn't help either. With those two together I doubt very much Spain score. All of their real chances come after the sending off.

 

Well 2006 was Pekerman's stupidity. Bringing on Cruz and not Leo who would have terrorized the German defence. Plus dragging off JRR. He was never a player who ran a lot but made the ball work.

2010 Diego should never have been coach. Again he was more interested in mufa, Such a poor team selection. Ariel Garce anyone ? Over Zanetti.....

2014 losing ADM and not having a fit Kun and Higuain being so fragile on the big stage cost another title.

2018 a circus event.

2022 Scaloni again almost lost that with his late subs.

2026 Scaloni I'm afraid has to bear responsibility.

As I said it's sad Diego had just the 1 title and Leo too. And overall it's sad we only have 3 stars.

The AFA has been the proverbial shitshow since it was founded. Not bothering to enter in 54 58 when di Stefano was at his peak and locking him out of the seleccion because of their attitude towards professionalism.

1958 removing the magic trio who had won the 57 South American Championship because they had moved to Italy.

1974 & 2018 provoked changes. But the common theme is we love shooting ourselves in the feet.

 

If we are waiting for the next Diego and Leo then I will likely not be around to see them or very old indeed. But then again given it is Argentina they may already be there dribbling around on some backstreet or potrero.

The team will still have quality players coming through. Football is a team game and we just need to forge one of high quality individuals in each position and create another unit for 2030.

A good start would be getting Tresoldi on board. I think he's an enormous talent. Rather we have him than Germany especially as his mother is Argentine. Come on mama do the right thing....

 

That hunt Olmo telling off Argentina. This is the same hunt that regularly dives about on the pitch. I'm sure Gavi another hunt said something untoward which caused the reaction from our players. Cubarsi another hunt as well. Hope they all get serious injuries. Eff them.

 

Yet, there's only 5 years gap between Diego's retirement and Messi's pro debut. As you said, its a team game and you dont need player of Diego & Messi level to win the title.

Messi was visibly nervous during the tunnel walk in 2014 final. His Barcelona success was weighing him down. Its after the 2019 CA semifinal where he became more like Diego.

 

Diego and Messi are the 2 greatest footballers of all time, we will never see their like again, never. What we need to do, like Spain, is produce quality players for every position. I know Spain have Yamal, but he only scored 1 goal in the tournament and had his moments in every game but not outstanding in any,but they still won,they weren't reliant on him. We were totally reliant on Messi.

 

My biggest issue with Scaloni is that his mistake has been very amateurish. Even casual observers could notice that the main squad are tired due to lack of rotation , particularly Mac, Enzo, Alvarez, Licha and Cuti. And then you have the likes of RDP , Nico G , Molina and Simeone who has zero creativity and could only provides a mindless running.

The only logical explaination on why he never utlize the squad depth would be perhaps there were players injured during training which he refused to tell as so not to cause panic? Cuti and Licha might not even fully fit entering the final, which is why both Scaloni and his players seems to be panicking from the starts. Players losing their cool and Scaloni making ridiculous subs.

I cant wrap my mind on why Paz, Barco, Palacios and Lo Celso (the later 2 are experience players) hardly could get any minutes since we entered KO stage.

 

Now watch some minnows goes full bunkering and takes them into penalties and win it. Ironically, Uruguay and CV did better statistically against them than Argentina .

 

There is no one on this Forum who is being wise after the event. We all raised issues with the squad that was selected, we all raised concerns about team selection and tactics during the tournament. So this is not us being clever after the event, we could all see what was happening. Given all the stats, analysis, information modern coaches have Scaloni would have been more than aware of all this, but he refused to budge, if he was going to fail he was going to fail with the core group in this squad and that was that.

 

We had a super team in the qualifier with great attack then everyone got injured: Aguero, Di Maria pretty much gone even Higuain and Messi had some sort of injury. Forced Sabella to be defensive. Still his biggest mistake was taking out Lavezzi in that final who was goated

 

Btw Simeone should be banned from the squad. Him stopping to mark the Spanish player is a criminal and terrorist act. Absolute sabotage.

Molina we know he is retarded but to just stop marking wow

 

Our bro Pekerman is actually right. Scaloni needs to be given huge credit for his achievement but at the same time, he's not exactly a tactical genius. You could see all his glaring flaws during previous tournaments, but the players individual brilliance, grit and mental strength bailed him out. So what makes Scaloni unique? well, he's forming a camaraderie / harmony within the squad to such degree that we've never seen before. The players are willing to die for each other.

However, as years progressed, these camaraderie becoming a double edge sword. He ended up refusing to drop the old guards regardless of their performance. RDP should have never been in starting 11 and if he thinks Lo Celso isnt good enough againts stronger side, why not bring Buendia instead?

 

Took him off at half time when he was the best player on the pitch. Has there ever been an explanation for that? ADM has said he could have played in that game, does make you wonder.

 

Scaloni along with Messi, Otamendi, Paredes, Dibu, De Paul, etc, etc are all legends, what they have achieved is incredible, that will never change. But Scaloni is bedded to those players, he said that himself and he is so emotionally attached to them that I can't see him having that same connection with another set of players, I can't see how he will continue after Dec. Time will tell I guess.

 

Do we ever get explanations from our coaches lol. I will cut Sabella some slack, he really didnt make that many mistakes. I think he put in Aguero who was just coming back from injury and all I remember is him slipping and falling lol.

If Sabella had the likes of Dibu and some of any of our midfielders instead of Biglia and Perez. And a Di Maria like Scaloni had in 22' then we would have another world cup

 

He wanted to retire back when we beat Brazil 1-0 if I recall. He really should have imo.

 

The world cups where we were stacked with talent were 2002 and 2006, and those were a disaster. The 1998 squad was based as well but for Ortega's madness and Bergkamp's brilliance.

 

Sabella with Scaloni's squad (+injury free Di Maria) would have won 3 WC.

 

Was he talked out of retirement? To be honest I coudldn't see him not going to this world cup, perhaps that was just a negotiation tactic.