Soccer
"I Hope I'm Not as Stupid as Gary Neville When I Retire": Cuti Romero's Stinging Response to the Critics of Argentina
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Argentina's place in the final of the 2026 World Cup did not just produce an epic comeback against England. It also prompted the Argentina players to hit back at the fierce criticism they had received beforehand from several former England internationals.
The most forthright of them all was Cristian "Cuti" Romero, who wasted no time addressing Gary Neville's comments, firing back without hesitation after the 2-1 victory at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
The criticism did not stop there. Ian Wright declared that "I don't fear Argentina the way I would fear France or Spain. They have a lot of weaknesses," while Joe Cole went even further, saying: "We're going to put Messi to sleep, we're going to reach the World Cup final. We've got too much pace for Argentina's strengths, and we're going to beat them. I feel it in my bones."
"I Hope I'm Not as Stupid as Gary Neville When I Retire": Cuti Romero's Stinging Response to the Critics of Argentina
With Argentina's passage to the final confirmed, Lisandro Martínez was the first to respond, striking a conciliatory tone. "We're used to people always talking about us. It seems they enjoy talking about us, and we respond on the pitch — nothing more. Always with respect," said the Manchester United defender.
However, Cuti Romero took a very different approach and aimed his words squarely at Gary Neville. "The only thing I hope is that when I retire I'm not as stupid," the Tottenham centre-back fired, in one of the most striking remarks of the evening.
Far from softening his stance, the world champion elaborated on his thinking. "I hope that when I retire, now and in the future, I never feel the urge to criticise a player or to criticise anyone, because ultimately you go out there to do your best for your club, for your country — and after that it can go well or it can go badly," he said.
With qualification secured, Romero chose to focus on the present for the Argentina national team and the new challenge that awaits them. "We're delighted to be in a World Cup final again. And I think we're making history — for us it's something enormous. We feel the shirt like no one else and we're absolutely thrilled to be making history with this team," he concluded.
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