Rodrigo De Paul Defends Argentina's World Cup Warriors
Rodrigo De Paul has come out swinging in defence of Argentina’s World Cup warriors, insisting criticism of their conduct is fuelled by those who “were waiting for this fall” after their final defeat to Spain.
Lionel Scaloni’s side fell agonisingly short of history at MetLife Stadium, losing 1-0 after extra time and failing to become the first team in 64 years to retain the World Cup. They dragged the game deep, fought back to force the showpiece into the additional 30 minutes, and still walked away empty-handed.
What followed has stung almost as much as the result. The post-mortem has not only dissected the defeat, but zeroed in on Argentina’s behaviour: their gamesmanship, their confrontations, their disciplinary record on the night. The world champions of four years ago have been painted by some as villains who finally got what they deserved.
De Paul is having none of it.
In a lengthy Instagram post, the midfielder unloaded on rival supporters and pundits who, in his view, had been waiting for Argentina to stumble throughout the tournament. He also laid bare the emotional cost of falling just short of another star on the shirt.
“The biggest pain is that we couldn't bring the World Cup to our country again,” he wrote, framing the defeat through the eyes of the fans rather than the dressing room. “Because if there is anyone who deserved to live that feeling again, it was you.”
The regret is obvious. This was a group that had already climbed the mountain in Qatar and believed they could do it again. Instead, they watched Spain celebrate on American soil while trying to process the end of a four-year chase for immortality.
Yet De Paul insisted that something deeper has emerged from this cycle. “As the hours go by,” he continued, “they're dropping us that the identification they have with this group goes beyond the trophy and that's something I want to grab on to be able to transition into this moment.”
The message is clear: Argentina’s bond with its national team, forged through scars and celebrations since 2021, is not defined by a single night in New Jersey.
Then came the sharpest edge of his response.
“Today, I look at how many people were waiting for this fall,” De Paul wrote, accusing detractors of spending the World Cup “spreading baseless conspiracy theories” to ease their own frustration at not living Argentina’s recent run of glory. “Because our smiles bother them, because our ways get under their skin.”
It was a direct hit at those who bristled at Argentina’s street-fighter mentality on the pitch – the confrontations, the constant pressure on referees, the emotional outbursts that have become part of their identity under Scaloni.
To De Paul, that edge is not a flaw. It is the point.
Argentina leave this World Cup without the trophy, but not quietly, and certainly not apologising for who they are. The question now is not whether this team is loved at home – that much, De Paul argues, is beyond doubt – but how long this fiercely defiant core can keep dragging itself back to the biggest stage, ready to fight the world all over again.
