"It looks bad and smells bad"Neville debunks Argentina’s performance

Despite praise for his fighting spirit

Manchester United legend Gary Neville has slammed Argentina’s performance in the 2026 World Cup final, which they lost 1-0 to Spain, as “nonsense”, stressing that only the genius of Lionel Messi brought tango to the decisive game.

Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Neville (51) said: They played badly, I mean if they can stay in the game then we have to applaud them. “They did well, but they played badly.”

The former Valencia manager, who won 85 international matches with England, confirmed that Argentina would not have reached their second consecutive World Cup final without Messi, who scored eight goals in the tournament. “Argentina has great harmony and a fierce competitive spirit, and they have a great player in attack who helps them to victory. Without him, it might have been difficult to get there.”

Neville did not back down from his tough stance, though he praised Argentina’s fighting spirit, claiming: “If it looks bad and smells bad, it’s frankly bad. What we saw in the final was an average game. They played poorly at different times.”

In turn, Arsenal legend Ian Wright, who played 33 international matches with England, admitted. “I am happy that Argentina did not win, but I am also sad. I didn’t like crying like Messi. It was clear how much he was affected. “But I am very happy for Spain.”

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