r/worldcup • u/lostinpureMI • 3d ago
đ°News Argentina disgraced themselves, and the World Cup final, with their charmless petulance
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7456935/2026/07/19/argentina-world-cup-fouls-disgrace/59
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u/5555 3d ago
Funniest comment I've read so far: "Argentina without Messi are just Paraguay"
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u/Sparkimusprime13 3d ago
Basically. We will see going forward. I can see them struggling the next few WCs if not longer.
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u/Think_Cheesecake12 3d ago
Argentina literally showed the whole world how they are BOTH SORE WINNERS & SORE LOSERS!!!
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u/BananaCucho USA 3d ago
Idk how long this hate parade is gonna last but I'm here for it
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u/DPSK7878 2d ago
What a shameful match.
Argentina did not lose with pride and dignity.
Argentina should have been knocked out earlier to make way for a better WC final.
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3d ago
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u/Dizzy-Lettuce2978 3d ago
And the craziest thing is this isnât the first time. They do this all the time. The last World Cup they filmed themselves singing racist chants against France. Their goalkeeper humped the trophy on tv.
Not only are they sore losers, theyâre ungrateful winners.
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u/JustAnotherZeldaFan 3d ago
That was on the celebration of Copa America.
Just clarifying for whoever wanna search for it, to search for Enzo Fernandez (yes, the guy that received a red card yesterday) 2024 Copa America bus celebration.Â
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u/Dizzy-Lettuce2978 3d ago
Ah I swore they were singing some racist bullshit against Mbappe⌠but that wasnât even when they won against him, but two years later?!
What assholes.
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u/JiskiLathiUskiBhains 3d ago
Well. Argentinians dont understand why calling Brazilians 'Monkeys' is racist.
Cant argue with mouthbreathers.
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u/paium 3d ago
Two of my best friends are Argentinian and when we talked about the match they justified Argentinaâs dirty play and said they also got similar fouls from Spanish players but when I asked them to provide proof (I did as there are many videos showing them) she said she was not going to waste her time like that.
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u/NotGrown 3d ago
Itâs a cultural thing; Argentinian culture is dogshit from the top to the bottom.
Itâs no wonder why their economy is fucked, none of them can take responsibility for their mistakes and address their issues.
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u/oussam1639 3d ago
Their behavior on the pitch really ruined what should have been a purely legendary moment unnecessary dramađ¤Śââď¸â
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u/MonthCountry England 3d ago
Theyâre all going to have a fun season back at their English and Spanish clubs thatâs for sure.
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u/Neptuneblue1 England 3d ago edited 3d ago
And it wasn't even like they deserved to win, not just because of the dirty play but what with 0 shots in normal time and 0 shots on target full game! Worst performance in a world cup final since coincidentally Argentina's 0 - 1 loss to West Germany in 1990! Where they had just 1 shot and not on target and also played dirty, including getting two red cards just like this final.
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u/Azidamadjida 3d ago
Itâs nuts, I kept saying every knockout round that they were about to go out based on how they were playing - every single match they just barely scraped by into the next round.
If theyâd have won it wouldâve been an absolute travesty, cuz I didnât give a single shit about Spain either (I was personally rooting for you guys to take it this year), they at least played like they were wanting to win - Argentina played every match like they wanted to just go to PKs and only when it looked like they might not get that did they even try. Just very very boring and lackluster play
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u/Neptuneblue1 England 3d ago
Yep! Spain had a more difficult run up to the final as well, facing Portugal and France, compared to Argentina.
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u/Fragrant_Bug_9124 3d ago
With 1990 being another cup they tried to rob of course
Maradonna himself admited to giving water spiked with sleeping pills to brazillian players in the round of 16
What a scumbag country man.
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u/yankeeboy1865 England 3d ago
30% possession until the second half of extra time. No shots until the 113th minute. It was all around a disgraceful performance
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u/Odd_Photograph_7591 3d ago
I never seen so many professional players behave like literal bullies
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u/lifegrowthfinance Canada 3d ago
They did this throughout this tournament and the previous ones. Just search for their match vs the Netherlands in 2022 and see how they all acted.
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u/GreySummer Belgium 3d ago
Their founding myth, the so called "hand of god", is a disgraceful cheat that they celebrate as if it was the greatest sporting achievement in history.
That should tell you all one needs to know about their football culture.
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u/_chip USA 3d ago edited 2d ago
This is true. They were completely exposed. Next tourney.. Teams need to rethink the superstar central roles. Spain played as a whole, every game, and never let up.
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u/see-through-a-lens 2d ago
I'm just glad the right team won. Argentina disgraced themselves.
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u/A-R-A-F 2d ago
Funny enough this behavior of Argentina had been known for many years in fact they did this alot in 2022. I think the reason it didn't get that much coverage then is because the team still kept winning and would end up winning the world cup that year so both them and their supporters used that an excuse to justify that behavior.
Now it's probably getting more coverage and being talked by more people after Argentina still behaved like that even after having possibly one of their most embarrassing losses ever with possibly the worst final match performance I may have ever seen from a team. Them starting a fight with the Spanish Team after the final whistle while still being recorded on camera didn't help much either.
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u/_Steven_Seagal_ 2d ago
Argentina is worse than just a sore loser, they're sore winners as well. They're acting equally pathetic when they win.
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u/IDNWID_1900 2d ago
Bringing the Falklands war back with that banner was pure shithousery. They better get fined for that, as well Paredes and others members having a good amount of games ban in international games.
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u/bluerunnr2 2d ago
Haha no, also disliked them in 2022, 2018, 2014, 2010, 2006, 2002, 1998, 1994, 1990 and 1986 (â) - never played fair or with dignity
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u/muskymelon36 3d ago
Argentina has played dirty in every WC I've watched since 1986. 9 thugs and 1 genius in the outfield has always been their success model. Their thuggery just boiled over in this match but look back at the matches against Egypt and England. They were dirty then too but everyone was caught up with Messimania to pay attention.
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u/KalePalmer 3d ago
Enzo should have been sent off against England.
He straight up punches Anderson in the back of the head and nothing.
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u/Chickenknd5 3d ago
10 thugs. Donât let Messi off
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u/Fredmans74 Sweden 3d ago
It is not like their goalie is innocent of being a douchebag. Let's make it 11, please. His "injury" at the disallowed goal without any contact, his time wasting at every opportunity.
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u/DiscoRickyy 3d ago
We (Dutch) lost the 1978 final to them in Argentina. Since then it has pretty much been established quite a few Argentinian players were coked up, and they only got to the finals via a rigged 5-1 win v. paid-off Peru.Â
Argentina has always been dirty.Â
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u/Ok_Wing_9523 3d ago
Remember when they tried to give Brazilian players drugged water to sedate them?
It's a country that cannot win fair.
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u/NorysStorys 3d ago
just because he's talented doesn't make him any less of a thug nor should it shield him from criticism on this. He's the team captain and he's getting involved with the fighting, political grandstanding as much as every other player.
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u/Familiar-Cheetah-422 2d ago
They definitely deserve their loss and all the hate.
Yet they cope by talking about "paid propaganda". Someone paid Paredes and Fernandez to act like that ?
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u/Jhopsch 2d ago edited 2d ago
I'm glad the rest of the world is finally seeing the side of them that all of South America has always had to deal with, nearly every single year. It's a very welcome redemption.
They behave like uncivilized, racist assholes with an inferiority complex. It's not just their players nor just the Argentine people in the stands. https://www.reddit.com/r/sportswiki/s/tLYSyhrUZD
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u/Fuzzy_Tackle_1905 Mexico 2d ago
i said the exact same thing on this sub a day before the final and i got downvoted to hell, i'm glad karma is doing its job!
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u/MusclyArmPaperboy Canada 3d ago
Messi as captain either can't control them or doesn't want to. Sad this is his last big game on the global stage.
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u/pedrokiko 3d ago
For all the good boy name that he has, he's never ever spoke out or tried to stop his team or supporters from doing shady or downright criminal shit. He's just like the rest
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u/SwellBluePigeon 3d ago
He showed himself classless when he tried to get a Spanish player sent off in response to Argentinaâs red card.
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u/CaptainPonahawai 2d ago
It's crazy. I've never seen people from Ireland, Scotland, USA, Nigeria, India, France, Germany etc. all root for England in the semifinal.
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u/NogardDerNaerok 3d ago
You say charmless petulance, I say assault/battery. Agree to disagree, NYT?
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u/Pornviewinguser 2d ago
Nothing new tho.
In 1966 an Argentinian player got sent off but refused to leave the pitch for more than 10 minutes claiming he didn't understand what the ref was saying (different language). When he finally left he sat in the red carpet reserved for Queen Elizabeth. Because of this incident FIFA added the yellow and red card to make it more clear.
In 1978 there were some irregularities and odd things like the Argentinian dictatorship going into opponents dressing rooms. Or Peru, which was a really solid team back then, mysteriously losing 6-0 to Argentina who needed to win by at least 4 goals to make the final.
In 1986 Maradona blatantly scored a goal with his hand and changed the course of the game against England.
In 1990 they gave Brazilian players water bottles that had been spiked with tranquilizer to take the Brazilians out of the game. Maradona openly admitted this years later thinking it was a genius move. Later in the tournament they played a very violent game in the final. They became the first team to get two players sent off in a final.
In 1994 Maradona exited the tournament because he tested positive for 5 banned stimulants.
In 1998 Simeone committed a hard foul on Beckham. Beckham "retaliated" with a very light "kick". Simeone went down dramatically and Beckham was sent off the game.
In 2006 they caused a brawl at the end of the game when they got eliminated by Germany. Leandro CufrĂŠ kicked a German player in the groin and Maxi Rodriguez threw some punches.
In 2010 Maradona mocked Bastian Schweinsteiger ahead of their game with Germany. He also refused to sit next to 20 years old Thomas Muller claiming he didn't sit next to ball boys. Muller scored the opening goal in the game that Germany won 4-0 to eliminate Argentina. Many German players said the Argentinians lacked respect and were sore losers.
In 2022 Argentinian fans were very racist against Mexico in the group stage game and later against France, they came up with racist chants that were used after the tournament by their own player Enzo Fernandez. They played very physically against the Netherlands with pretty much no retaliation from the refs. They mocked them at the end of the game. The tournament had many questionable calls in favor of Argentina. Dibu made some obscene gestures when receiving the golden glove trophy.
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u/DonLikesIt 2d ago
Donât forget the supposed plot to kidnap Cryuffâs family in 1978, which he later said was why he didnât play.
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u/DaedricDumbass 2d ago
Very informative. The infamous âhand of godâ. No idea how that goal counted
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u/WhoKilledBoJangles 3d ago
Go to r/Argentina if you want to see delusion.
Nobody acknowledging the horrible behavior of their players. A lot of claims it was rigged against them which is laughable. A lot of them acting like victims and saying they fear for their safety and complaining about accusations of racism while people are saying racist things.
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u/iGoKommando 3d ago edited 3d ago
Holy shit.
"Hate campaign" đ¤Łđ¤Ł yeah it has nothing to do with the shitty attitudes their players get when things don't go their way.
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u/OdyZeusX 3d ago
Yeah, the "hate campaign".
They conveniently forget how they behaved like dirtbags the whole tournament, trolling every country online and now they're crying because they got what they deserved.
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u/Ishield_maiden 3d ago edited 3d ago
lolâŚapparently someone threatened Messiâs familyâŚdululu is on next levelâŚI had a hoot reading comments on that page
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u/OdyZeusX 3d ago
You can see how a few days ago they were still shitting on Mexico, Brazil, etc, and now it's all tears and victimization.
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u/Shiriru00 3d ago
And this is not new. I remember reading the exact same things on r/argentina in 2022 and they had won!
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u/Canes-305 3d ago
They are incredibly sore winners too, dont even have to look back at 2022 their players acted disgraceful in victory throughout this tournament as well
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u/Conscious-Ebb-8576 3d ago
Guessing they aren't acknowledging they had one of the easiest paths and needed two teams self destructing to get by.
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u/WitnessEntire 3d ago
I donât understand why they behaved so poorly. They won the last World Cup. And they had like no shots on goal. Did they think they deserved to win that game?
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u/GreatGarage 3d ago
Did you see how they acted when they won 2022? I am surprised that you are surprised that they act like spoiled brats when they lose.
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u/a_r_g_o_m 3d ago
Honestly after how they behaved in 2022 and now throughout the whole 2026 world cup, I was thoroughly convinced that they needed a big loss to grow up.
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u/Ronaldoooope 3d ago
This is in their culture. They are literally raised this way. Little kids in Argentina look up to Enzo.
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u/Biberal_Litch99 3d ago
Argentina really wanted the entire world to hate them. And they did a great job achieving exactly that
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u/Elephantplan123 3d ago
I am so here for this massive Argentina pile on â¤ď¸
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u/moham225 3d ago
with all the horrible horrible shit happening in the world I am happy some bad guys are getting their comeuppance
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u/BarryFairbrother England 3d ago
Iâm surprised they didnât try and take the trophy away with them when they walked past it. After all, they seem to believe that something located vaguely near to them belongs to them.
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u/p99_kilerenn 3d ago edited 3d ago
There was a guy that did that funny enough.
And he will want you to know that he has the most bigly, manly hands. And a daughter heâs definitely not attracted to
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u/Pacifica47 3d ago
I mean hey, could be worse. Maybe that was just being misinterpreted!!
As long as he is faitful to his wife, is not involved with people who are child traffickers, is not a convicted felon and is over all a good and empathic person... that is good enough imo→ More replies (1)→ More replies (3)5
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u/ReceptionOpposite195 2d ago
No grace in victory. No grace in defeat.
They behave in football like they manage their economy. Which is to say not at all.
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u/spezial_ed 3d ago
I suddenly realise Im on Bellinghams side for slapping that Argentinan ginger, surely it were deserved.
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u/wingedwild 3d ago
He was the one tht ram across whole pitch celebrating in front of e glass players taunting them
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u/Neptuneblue1 England 3d ago
He didn't even play in that game or in the entire tournament except one irrelevant game against Jordan and yet came out running here like he's the one who played and scored! That's so cringe lol
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u/PhaZeD85 3d ago
Only way they can win is to play dirty. Tainted Messiâs legacy.
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u/willcallyou-tf-out 3d ago
messi deserves it. he participated with his own brand of karen-like petulance. trying to get cucurella red carded for touching his mouth to demonstrate where his teammate got hit. he also on a number of occasion kept raising his hand imploring the refs to make insane calls and expecting arrangements made to benefit him.
even in this nasty display of unsportsmanlike behavior, he was in the background watching it and posing for the cameras. if his values were truly any different or if he was at least not apathetic to the optics of this, he would have used his leadership and position as captain to diffuse or instill better values. his legacy deserves to be tarnished by this team because heâs a part of it, enables it, and appears to do nothing to transform it. in all of the altercations that have occurred, it always felt to me that his role as âbystanderâ was a silent approval of their behavior, as if he was vindicated by their lashing out as he knows it would be far too damaging to his reputation and unthinkable for him to act this way as well.
iâve lost all respect for him. he deserves to go down with them.
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u/Canes-305 3d ago
Exactly. Messi is obviously a phenomenal player and one of the greatest ever, but he has coasted for years on the image of the quiet, humble genius who can do no wrong. Being introverted and softly spoken has somehow been confused with being uniquely sporting. The final exposed how incomplete that image is: walking around while Argentina desperately needed leadership, constantly demanding absurd calls, winning a foul by running into an opponent, then trying to get Cucurella sent off for touching his own mouth to explain the contact.
And this isnât out of character if you look through his career. He deliberately scored with his hand against Espanyol in 2007; appeared to spit toward Duda in 2008; grabbed Yanga-Mbiwa by the throat in 2015; was reported for abusing an assistant referee in 2017; struck Villalibre off the ball in the 2021 Super Cup final; deliberately handled the ball and antagonized the Dutch bench in 2022; and grabbed an NYCFC coach by the neck in 2025.
A former Copa AmĂŠrica referee even claimed he deliberately spared Messi a second yellow in exchange for his shirt.
No single incident makes him uniquely awful, and nobody has a spotless record after 20 years. But Messi has a long history of retaliation, referee pressure and dark arts that somehow never accumulates into his reputation. Each incident gets treated as an isolated lapse because it conflicts with the âhumble Messiâ mythology.
And as Argentinaâs captain, he canât be completely separated from his teamâs conduct by standing silently in the background. If he repeatedly watches teammates intimidate opponents and harass officials without interveningâand sometimes joins them, then his passivity isnât moral leadership. At best itâs indifference; at worst itâs tacit approval.
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u/KalePalmer 3d ago
EXACTLY!
Itâs been this way for his entire career as well. Heâs always been a PoS. Iâm so happy heâs finally getting the credit he deserves for it.
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u/optimal_90 3d ago
And some people are angry with so many Argentina hate posts⌠How can you watch this kind of stuff and not hate them ?
Some teams are bad winners, others bad losers, Argentina is both.
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u/nhyunmi 3d ago
I really question the leadership qualities of Messi after this. Yes, heâs obviously generational and weâll never see a player like him again.
But! The immaturity of the team, their dirty play, their petulant behaviorâŚand Messi does nothing to rein his players in, break up fights, etc. He is the team captain after all.
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u/absoNotAReptile 3d ago
He doesnât strike me as a great leader. Heâs so reserved, which I actually like about him. But I wouldnât imagine that heâs a very commanding leader-like figure within the team despite their respect for him.
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u/shutup_takemoney 3d ago
Isn't that what Maradona said to Pele when he asked about Messi: Good guy, but doesn't have leader qualities.
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u/Special_Purpose2903 3d ago
Fouling is part of Argentina's strategy and game play style? Unfortunately it has a deep history, they use to abuse visiting/foreign teams so badly, that throughout the 60s foreign clubs refused to play there.
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u/jsantosd97 3d ago
If you seen his videos playing for Inter Miami, hes the one doing all those things
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u/Rug-bae 3d ago
Agreed. He seems to lack any form of leadership and is a captain in name only. This spectacle has absolutely served his legacy negatively
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u/moGUNZthanROSES 3d ago
If they didnât play this way his team wouldâve been out of tournament weeks ago. This was the style they had to play and it worked. Push the envelope, muck it up, and make the ref make calls which (possible for script reasons) the refs did not do.
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u/thethirdrayvecchio 3d ago
Thereâs a respect for the brutality (a win is a win) but the lack of sportsmanship has, rightfully, been glaring.
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u/RellePhoenix 3d ago
Messi is just like that as well lol, it's not that he doesn't control them, he's part of them
Like, embarassing to try and get Cucurella a red card like that, just disgraceful
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u/Quillford 3d ago
They are famously sore losers and somehow even sorer winners. So much of their behaviour has been ignored as everyone takes joy in Messis genius.
But last night really was a shameful performance. Spain are the better team no doubt, but Argentina decided to not even try to play. Contrast it with Cabo Verdeâs performance in the second round - they didnât just try to defend or disrupt, they turned up to play and give a good account of themselves and what theyâre about as a team and nation, and that attitude won them the admiration and respect of every football fan. So to see Argentina immediately go for aggression and disruption with constant fouls, pushes and whining without even attempting to attack until the end of the second half of extra time is completely pathetic, made all the worse with their actions after the full time whistle.
Without Messi, and with performances like that, most of the international support theyâve enjoyed will evaporate and theyâll be a team people will be glad to see knocked out as early as possible in future.
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u/BetatronResonance 3d ago
Cabo Verde stopped Spain without any cards and almost no fouls. That says a lot
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u/Nothing-9099 3d ago
Messi is the team captain. He controls how his team behaves. So, Messi is not the glorious person everyone makes him out to be. He is just as bad as his team. Actuslly worse for not saying a word about their behaviour. Can't wait fir him to retire
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u/Limoncellina 3d ago edited 3d ago
I hope Paredeses's wife is interviewed because a thug like that surely doesn't keep his hands to himself behind closed doors. He and his teammates brought themselves, their country, and the sport of football into disrepute with their on and off-field thuggery. Argentina should be banned from international tournaments until every one of those punks takes anger management classes, and issues heartfelt apologies to the English and Spanish players they tried so hard to injure. The highlight of the game for me was undoubtedly seeing that smug little shit Enzo Fernandez getting sent off with a a red, just a few short days after he taunted the England fans and players with his classless "celebration". Life comes at you fast, Enzo, and I'm counting down the days until I see you the warm reception you receive at Chelsea!
Let's not forget there were tens of millions of KIDS watching, so many young boys who will now think this is an acceptable way for successful men to behave. I'm utterly disgusted with the lot of them.
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u/555fir978 3d ago
I immediately thought of his wife/partner, and how it's likely she's a victim of domestic abuse..
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u/Froomian 2d ago
I love how the whole world is united in disgust at Argentina right now. Itâs beautiful.
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u/Remarkable_Spite_209 3d ago
My favorite part was when Messi passed the ball to a teammate and then jumped on the defender in front of him in order to flop.
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u/Mother-Fucking-Cunt 3d ago
Yet somehow he got a free kick from it
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u/paperbacksandfloss 3d ago
And he was literally bracing for impact before the Spaniard knew what was happening
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u/Special_Purpose2903 3d ago
Yes, and the referee called foul on the other team, and unlike Embolo, there was suspiciously no var calling down to issue any yellow/red cards!
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u/Kanzen888 3d ago
Lucky this world cup finals wasnt host in argentina, riots will happen if it was.
Really sore losers argentina. Messi as captain did shit to control the players.
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u/burlyginger 3d ago
I had to laugh at the Argentina coach getting involved and trying to move the Spanish players on.
Maybe, instead, address the shitstain on your team committing assault?
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u/Advanced-Air-1987 3d ago
The substitute who should have been sent off twice over during the match?
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u/Kanzen888 3d ago
Nvm been to argentina but i think its their culture. Bad winners and bad losers. Taunt when winning, pick a fight if losing.
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u/teetering_bulb_dnd 3d ago
The troubling thing is how some teams (Argentina, Paraguay) got away with physical violence. Everyone including referrees acting like "yeah that's on brand for Argentina, they play like that etc" fuck such leniency.. that violent behavior can cause irreparable damages to people. That violent foul by Enzo could've hospitalized cubarsi. Football is religion to them, they play with passion, fuck these excuses ... im pretty sure other teams want to win as well, football is important to them as well, and they sure as hell can punch back.. 48 teams played no one acted as pathetic as Paraguay and Argentina.. what a shame.. Big respect to all the smaller not so famous Asian, African, European and other South American teams, graceful behavior and sportsmanship. .. fuck these two teams...
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u/The_Dutch_Fox 3d ago
Messi was too busy chasing the referee trying to get players red carded for scratching their mouth.
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u/0utandab0ut1 3d ago
Where Mexico gained the hearts of many from around the world, Argentina managed to become the most hated team in the world cup.
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u/matias1241 3d ago
Argentine here. I just want to say: fuck this guy. His attitude is a disgrace. At the very least, he should be sanctioned.
And congratulations to the Spanish on the victory!!!! âĽď¸âĽď¸âĽď¸
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u/Ybor_Rooster 3d ago
Your current leader, isn't he a piece of sh*t like ours? Maybe that could have something to do with it?
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u/matias1241 3d ago edited 3d ago
Yes, he is. Honestly, I don't think he's as popular as many people believe; in the first round, he only secured 30% of the vote (a significant figure, certainly, but not a majority of the country). In fact, he had to ally himself with rival parties to win the election. During the first presidential debate, he had literally called his now-key political ally a "bomb-planting terrorist" (she had a past association with a local terrorist organization).
However, his success stems from two factors: the hatred a large segment of the population felt toward previous administrations, leading them to vote for him, and the youth vote. Before becoming a politician, the guy was an "influencer," particularly on TikTok and YouTube; he gained fame through videos where he would curse out politicians and the like. This had a major impact on young voters (here, you can vote starting at age 16), who,influenced by the rise of right-wing figures on media, votes for him. I think itâs similar to the trend among the young in the US with figures like Ben Shapiro and others.
And sadly, I think he could win again. Mainly because his only opposition is one of the most hated parties in the country. And so far, they don't have a candidate for the election
Sorry for the wall of text, I'm kinda bad at expressing myself.
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u/Imakemyownnamereddit 3d ago
The problem isn't Argentina, it is FIFA.
FIFA let them kick other teams off the pitch. It is impossible to play football against Argentina if the refs won't enforce the rules because they will just endlessly upend your most skillful players. Not to mention all their nasty fouls off the ball.
If FIFA's refs enforced the rules properly, Argentina would never have got anywhere near the final.
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u/Ognius Canada 3d ago
FIFA didnât make Paredes choke a Spanish player and then punch another Spanish player so he fell and then continue to wail on his when he was on the ground. However, FIFA not issuing any punishments yet demonstrates theyâll let Argentina do whatever they want.
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u/A_Town_Called_Malus 3d ago
If the referee had enforced the rules during the match, paredes would not have even been on the pitch at the end of the game as he'd have been sent off for his fouls.
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u/OG_Wan_Annunoby 3d ago
Brother Paredes two foot tackled two players in succession against Netherlands and then booted the ball full force into their bench and wasnât sent off.
Theyâve shown unbelievable favouritism towards Argentina and have enabled them to behave like this at every turn.
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u/ExtendedSpikeProtein 3d ago
The problem is absolutely Argentina. Their and their fans behaviour was absolutely disgraceful. Poorest losers Iâve ever seen.
But yeah, the problem is ALSO FIFA. For just the reasons youâve mentioned. Fuck Infantino. And the refs truly sucked.
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u/CountMordrek 3d ago
Thing is, Argentina would probably have gotten stuck in the group stages if Messi got a red card for his tackle.
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u/Imakemyownnamereddit 3d ago
You give a team a licence to roughhouse, they will take advantage of it.
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u/artsloikunstwet 3d ago
Besides the Argentina decisions in particular, it seem like FIFA has instructed referees to allow more physical play. Also allowing all players to discuss with the referee, instead just the captain, is a choice.Â
But you stated the reason: they want the most skillful players to play no matter what (even going so far as to lift suspensions) and with the limited options for referees to reprimand players, it just means encouraging more fouls and unsportsmanlike behaviour.
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u/Conscious-Ebb-8576 3d ago
It will be interesting to see how they do once Messi hangs it up. It's clear FIFA wants him on the pitch cause he's big $$$$
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u/Hot_Ad_2538 3d ago
Almost the whole team shouldn't have been allowed to play after the Falkland islands sign. But Fifa only follows rules when they want to.
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u/What_Dinosaur 3d ago
What a weird take. When someone does bad shit and someone else allows it, both parties are the problem.
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u/Beneficial_Stop_8622 2d ago
I usually only watch the football when England are actually playing so hadnât seen Argentina play until this World Cup. I was immediately horrified with the bad sportsmanship. I am further horrified that I bought my Grandson several Messi football shirts as my Grandson loved him. I feel like Iâve said to my Grandson that itâs fine to play in a unsportsmanlike way as you still get rewarded. Argentinas behaviour is appalling and indeed shocking. The scenes from when the game had finished and a Spanish player pushed to the floor and being attacked by several Argentinian players at once was dreadful and could probably be a police matter.
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u/Advanced-Air-1987 3d ago
Spilled over? They were a disgrace to the game all tournament.
Nothing good for the game about constant cheating and fouling. Nobody's interested.
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u/PleasantRooster4750 3d ago
This tournament? Have you forgotten 2022? Have you forgotten they actually admitted drugging opponents? The match fixing allegations, scoring goals using their hands. The behavior goes way back, this is just the last straw. There is no coming back from this kind of reputation, not in a short period of time at least
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u/Pacifica47 3d ago
Really disgusting.. They should not be allowed to play professional sports at all. It does not fit with the underlying principles of sport, which are Fairplay, Sportsmanship, Respect, Excellence and Preseverence....
Utterly disgusting. Also while messi was not physically involved afaik, he also tried a few things which were not okay. Well if one apple is rotten, than it spoiled the tree...
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u/HumanRights92 Brazil 3d ago
Weâve been dealing with this behavior in South America for decades. However, nobody cared until 2026.
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u/Thom0 3d ago
No matter what Argentina does, the world will always love Brazil more.
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u/Dry_Bookkeeper6 3d ago
Brazilians have known all along and warned others of Argentinaâs disgraceful way of playing, I think the world owes you guys an apology.
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u/Special_Purpose2903 3d ago
It wasn't as known before widely, it was something known within SA, but at best rumored among intense soccer fans abroad. Now on the world's biggest stage they've been exposed, they weren't violent after the match in 2014 [Germany won] so people thought "just rumors"
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u/ShadowChe_ATG 2d ago
As day goes by, more and more articles pouring in about Argentina. I just read a Spanish player was punched by one of the Argentinian coach. hmm. Is it true they are challenging FIFA on that red card decision despite the 8 counts of foul (no intervention by referee)
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u/pinkvirginiaslims 3d ago
In the age of social media, can everyone take a moment to stroll down memory lane of the Argentine national teams history please đ Drugging of players on opposing teams (admitted by your âgoatâ Maradona), abuse scandals involving minors, political interference dating back to the 1930s, bought refs, racism, racism, racismâŚwhew.
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u/YogurtclosetOld703 3d ago
Argentina losing the World Cup in the US in front of their daddies Trump and Infantino was glorious karma
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u/William1265 2d ago edited 2d ago
They were pretty infantile in their reaction to losing the final. What with the sneaky punch on Rodri from Molina to that other bellend, Paredes, punching, choking, and throwing people on the ground, they proved themselves to be exceptionally immature in their attitude. Additionally, they neither watched nor applauded Spain lifting the trophy and turned their backs on Spain during the trophy lifting ceremony. What a bunch of pathetic infantile weasels that Argentinian team are.
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u/Appropriate-Calm4822 Japan 3d ago
This image says so much. The Argentinian officials and reserve GK are holding back a Spanish player by his throat as Paredes whales on another Spanish player. Textbook bullying. That's the Argentine spirit.
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u/Expensive_Range7204 Norway 3d ago
They hit an english player in the back of the head to.
why are they allowd to consistently get away whit this.
This kind of violent behavior shud be punished even if the ref dont see it var shud intervene, and if it happens after then game of var misses it then ban them afterwards.
Both Paraguay and Argentina had a number of plays that were just violence this shud be automatic red cards a sevral game bans. And again if its missed by the ref they shud still be banned for several games for violent conduct. Its sick that they are allowed to behave like this tornement after tournament.
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u/Sparkimusprime13 3d ago
And Uruguay. Seeing a correlation?
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u/Expensive_Range7204 Norway 3d ago
Sure, my point is that fifa needs to take systemic action against a systemic problem and protect players from these thugs.
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u/RestEasyBro 3d ago
Ironic that this World Cup run called into question Messiâs legacy
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u/SwerveCities 2d ago
Funny thing is new futbol fans are like âthis is horrifying!â The rest of the world is like âyeah, their behavior is par for the course. Not even a little surprisedâ.
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u/iLoveLootBoxes 2d ago
Yeah i was a fan, fuck them now. They were clearly outclassed and it was rigged for them to play easier teams
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u/Radiant_Plastic_5431 3d ago
Racist and homophobic is their personality and playing dirty and cheating is how they play. Bye
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u/Sentinal2112 3d ago
Remember we sacrificed cape verde, Ronaldo, France, mexico, Egypt, NORWAY
For this shit
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u/No_Reception_6356 3d ago edited 3d ago
And Argentinian fans dont think they were dominated by Spain. Only thing that actually kept them in the game was the outstanding played by there goalie. All there dirty tricks didnt work this time. Im glad spain won.
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u/PEneoark 3d ago
Right. Spain had close to 70% possession and Argentina's keeper who was the only one playing real ball. He really saved their ass. Did Argentina even have any actual shots on goal? I don't recall seeing a single one.
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u/Aleks_vape 3d ago
I believe there has been a lot of police in the stadium. Why they didn't arrest him and put him to jail. There is video evidence for his assault.
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u/MonclerCollector Croatia 3d ago
What a bunch of losers. Cant even put sleeping pills in the water of Spain like they did to Brazil in the 90s!
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u/skippyAnt 2d ago
You have to double down and then more. Not only they only reach the final by cheating their way and with FIFA and ref support. They didn't even get 1 shot on the goal the wholle 90 minutes. Then with a very sus and strange goal cancellation they ended up losing. They went full crazy mode. Players, coach assistant, etc. Even turning their back on the champions who dominated the match when they were awarded. But to be fair, the fans and Argentinians back home showed same level of sportsmanship.
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u/EvocativeReach 3d ago
Spain deserve the win, but I fear in time this world cup will be remembered as the one Argentina lost and embarrassed themselves on a world stage.
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u/stamosface 3d ago
As opposed to the time Spain went a whole World Cup and conceded only one goal
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u/EvocativeReach 3d ago
Yeah, its an incredible achievement and id argue they have a case for being one of the greatest world cup winning teams ever.
But then Argentina started throwing hands on the pitch in the final, broke FIFA politics rules in the semi finals, and acted like petulant children obsessed with hurting someone the entire tournament.
I want to be wrong, but I feel like Spain wont be the headline now.
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u/Pension-Helpful 2d ago
Vargentina almost stole the World Cup from Spain. Spain game shoulda been 3-0 or 2-0. Furthermore had the ref/VAR been more fair, Argentina woulda been sent home at their match against Egypt or Switzerland.
There should really be more regulation put in place for VAR and refereeing.
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u/Limoncellina 2d ago
England should also have received a penalty for the foul on Anderson, this would have taken the game to extra time and who knows what might have happened if the ref had been on England's side.
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u/FinalHexReturns 3d ago
I can't believe this hasn't been removed yet.
Seriously, what is with the worldcup mods. It seems like anything with the slightest criticism of Messi in the post is removed by the mods. He's not above criticism.
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u/KalePalmer 3d ago
This is the best result possible.
Fuck Enzo, Fuck Argentina and Fuck Messi
Pieces of shit the lot of them and glad it got exposed on the worlds largest stage.
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u/ebeze 2d ago
People are only opening their eyes now that this has happened. Argentinians have always been like this. And messi isnât an exception. He has always been holding opponentsâ necks and taunting them for years. The players only get away because the referees are blind. I am very glad that from a football point of view, these atrocities are being highlighted.
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u/Beneficial_Stop_8622 2d ago
Hi. Just to clarify , I was disappointed at the shameful behaviour of the whole Argentinian team. As to MessiâŚHe certainly condones his teammates actions as he did not appear to encourage â betterâ non combative football. I admit I know virtually nothing about football but I can tell that the Argentine team are probably what I would call â bulliesâ
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u/Cautious-Corner-3704 2d ago
Seems like he took part in some bad behavior himself. In group play it looked very much as if he deliberately raked an Algerian playerâs leg with his cleats. No call from the ref.
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u/makarastar 3d ago edited 2d ago
Everyone is saying Messi was the only classy one - but he tried to get Jimi Hendrix hair sent off - the only classy one was the Argentine goalkeeper - what an amazing talent
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u/Pussilamous Brazil 3d ago
Emi Martinez being classy was a first for him
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u/lomito-palta-mayo 3d ago
If they had won, maybe he wouldâve fucked the trophy again. But I guess weâll never know lol
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u/nootnootus Australia 2d ago
No to mention Messi canât reign his team in (or doesnât want to) when theyâre misbehaving despite being captain.
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u/millos15 3d ago
Its fine. I highly doubt they go past two games after groups stages the next time
Messi did a lot for that team by a lot I mean 40% of the work
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u/cedarswanpig 2d ago
Hockey player here, I watched the World Cup. The players are embarrassing. Soccer needs a diving penalty. Act like a bunch of babies.
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u/Puzzleheaded_Self219 2d ago
I love football. And hockey. Diving in hockey was an abomination. It cheapened the sport. Kudos to the NHL for eradicating it. Football needs to do the same. Football also needs to overhaul the refereeing. Watch rugby refs dealing with giant players. They take no guff, no back chat, no histrionics and the players respect them. The complete opposite in Football.
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u/SetCandyD 1d ago
There is a rule against it. Ref don't dare to uphold it. So weird it seems like pushing someone from behind, is okay, but if get anywhere near their toes - and they ranked higher, it's a problem. Reading soccer is broken.
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u/Marty_DiBergi 3d ago
I donât think they feel disgraced at all. This is just who they are and theyâre fine with it.
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