Hope I'm never that stupid: Romero slams Gary Neville as Argentina have last laugh
Argentina defender Cristian Romero criticized former England player Gary Neville following Argentina's 2-1 victory over England in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-final. Romero expressed hope that he would not be as 'stupid' as Neville when he retires, referencing Neville's pre-match criticism of the Argentine defense.
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This captures the high-stakes emotional environment of international sports and the friction between current players and media pundits.
Atlanta , UPDATED: Jul 16, 2026 08:19 IST Written By: Amar Sunil Panicker Argentina defender Cristian Romero hit back at Gary Neville after the defending champions beat England 2-1 to reach the FIFA World Cup final, saying he hopes he is never "that stupid" when he retires after the former England international criticised him before the semi-final.
Neville had questioned Romero and Lisandro Martinez's partnership ahead of Wednesday's clash in Atlanta, calling them "the best, worst centre-half pairing in the world" on The Overlap.
Argentina had the last laugh as they came from behind to beat England, with Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez scoring after Anthony Gordon's opener to seal a second successive World Cup final berth.
Asked about Neville's comments after the match, Romero delivered a pointed response.
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