In the aftermath of Argentina’s 1-0 loss to Spain in the World Cup final on Sunday, a match likely to be Lionel Messi’s last at this level, the nation’s media reflected a sense of pride in the team despite acknowledging Spain’s dominance.
The front page of Clarín, Argentina’s top newspaper, showcased an emotional Messi with the headline: “They gave it their all: [there is] nothing to blame them for.” The editorial emphasized that “beyond the final result, and setting aside the strictly sporting aspects, there was, as never before, a special bond between the people and their national team”
La Nación mirrored this sentiment with a headline stating: “Argentina gave their all, and they are the pride of the nation.” Meanwhile, Página|12 declared on its front page “against a Spanish side that controlled the entire final but only managed to score in the second half of extra time” with a leading article stating that Scaloni’s team lost “Once the disappointment has faded, what will remain is the immense significance of a team which, with Lionel Messi as its leader and icon, has etched its name in capital letters into the history of world football.” It highlighted that “the laurels that we knew how to win” The sports daily Olé resonated with this theme, proclaiming “If they give everything the way they did today, it sets a great example for the people and for our country,” referencing a line from the national anthem about “You have to pick yourself up again. When you leave everything like that, it’s very hard to find fault with anything.”
Coach Scaloni Reflects on the Match
Following the match, Lionel Scaloni, Argentina’s head coach, appeared visibly moved during his press conference. “with great dignity, with great pride and with a presence that is also deeply emotional and human – which is what comes across in these words when everything is crashing down on you and when you’re losing everything” he stated. “Argentina hadn’t faced a team like Spain before – a team that steals the ball from you and you can’t get it back. They didn’t let us recover or play.”
Former Argentina international Marcelo Gallardo shared his thoughts on ESPN, noting that Scaloni spoke “Spain proved too much for this great journey”
Gallardo described the earlier semi-final against England as an “a whirlwind of football and determination that dominated Argentina at will” for the squad, adding, “They had possession, the chances, the tempo of the match; they were in complete control. The Argentinian side simply set about holding out, nothing more. Looking at the match statistics, they seemed to be made up of an inert body.”
Media Analysis of the Final
In a column for Tiempo Argentino titled “overall campaign was beyond reproach – they reached the final and left the pitch facing their fans, looking straight at the stands, in tears, paying tribute to their supporters” Alejandro Wall portrayed Luis de la Fuente’s Spanish team as “Even though the result isn’t what we would have liked, we need to recognise the historic significance of this group of players’ enormous achievement: in the last four World Cups, they’ve reached three finals and won one,” He wrote: “And this final was lost in extra time. What’s more, no one can hold anything against them because they gave their all.” However, he also acknowledged that the team’s “overall campaign was beyond reproach – they reached the final and left the pitch facing their fans, looking straight at the stands, in tears, paying tribute to their supporters.”
Argentinian President Javier Milei remarked, “Even though the result isn’t what we would have liked, we need to recognize the historic significance of this group of players’ enormous achievement: in the last four World Cups, they’ve reached three finals and won one,” during an interview with Radio Mitre. “And this final was lost in extra time. What’s more, no one can hold anything against them because they gave their all.”
The Argentinian Football Association announced that some players would return to Argentina on Monday, but did not specify any plans for celebrations.
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