Argentina defenders Lisandro Martinez and Cristian Romero have hit back at Manchester United legend Gary Neville following the Albiceleste’s 2-1 victory over England in the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The pair were responding to comments made by the former England defender after Argentina’s 3-2 Round of 16 win over Egypt, when Neville described them as “the best worst centre-halves in the world.”
Argentina booked their place in the World Cup final by defeating England on Wednesday, and both defenders used the opportunity to respond to Neville’s criticism.
Speaking in a joint interview with DSports Argentina after the match, Martinez said he and Romero were no strangers to criticism and preferred to let their performances speak for them.
“We are used to people always talking about us; it seems they just love talking about us,” Martinez said.
“We don’t really respond, we just let our play on the pitch do the talking, always with respect.”
Romero also took a swipe at Neville, saying he hoped he would never become someone who constantly criticised others after retiring from football.
“The only thing I hope is that when I retire, I won’t be that stupid,” Romero said.
“Hopefully, down the line, I won’t go around criticising players or anyone else.”
