Gary Neville slams Argentina's performance in 2026 World Cup final
Manchester United legend Gary Neville has heavily criticised Argentina's display in their 1-0 World Cup final loss to Spain, crediting Lionel Messi for their tournament progress.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0 / Author: Michael Cairns
Former Manchester United and England defender Gary Neville has delivered a scathing assessment of Argentina's performance in the 2026 World Cup final, which saw them fall to a 1-0 defeat against Spain. Despite acknowledging their competitive spirit, Neville was unimpressed with their overall quality on the pitch.
Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Neville did not hold back: "They played very badly, let's be clear. They played badly. If it looks bad and it smells bad, then it's bad, frankly. What we saw in the final was a mediocre performance."
Neville argued that Argentina's ability to reach back-to-back finals was solely down to the individual genius of Lionel Messi, who scored eight goals during the tournament. He insisted that without the forward, the team would have struggled significantly to reach the showpiece match.
They have wonderful chemistry and a fierce competitive spirit, and they have an amazing player up front who helps them achieve victory. Without him they might have struggled to get there. Gary Neville
While Neville focused on the tactical shortcomings, Arsenal legend Ian Wright offered a different perspective. He admitted he was happy for Spain's victory but confessed that seeing the emotional toll on Messi after the final whistle was difficult to watch.