Argentinian newspapers have heaped praise on Lionel Scaloni's team despite their 1-0 defeat to Spain in the World Cup final on Sunday, a match widely seen as Lionel Messi's last World Cup appearance. The front pages of major dailies reflected a nation's pride in its team's performance, even as they conceded that Spain were the superior side.
Front pages celebrate effort
The cover of Clarín, Argentina's bestselling newspaper, featured a photo of a tearful Messi with the headline: 'They gave it their all: [there is] nothing to blame them for.' In an editorial, the outlet highlighted the unique bond between the team and the public, stating 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 ran a similar headline: 'Argentina gave their all, and they are the pride of the nation.' Página|12's front page read 'From here to eternity,' with a cover article noting that Scaloni's Selección had lost 'against a Spanish side that controlled the entire final but only managed to score in the second half of extra time.' It added: '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.' The sports newspaper Olé struck a similar note with 'May they be eternal,' a line from the national anthem.
Scaloni's emotional press conference
After the match, head coach Lionel Scaloni left his press conference in tears, casting doubt over his future. 'If they give everything the way they did today, it sets a great example for the people and for our country,' he said. 'You have to pick yourself up again. When you leave everything like that, it's very hard to find fault with anything.'
Former Argentina international Marcelo Gallardo commented on ESPN that Scaloni had spoken '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.' Gallardo noted that the semi-final against England had been an 'emotional drain' and added: '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.'
Analysis and political reaction
Alejandro Wall, writing for Tiempo Argentino in a column titled 'Spain proved too much for this great journey,' described Spain as 'a whirlwind of football and determination that dominated Argentina at will.' He noted: '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.' Still, he said 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 said in an interview with Radio Mitre: '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. 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 confirmed that some squad members would return to Argentina on Monday, but did not mention any specific celebrations.
