Argentine President declares national holiday despite defeat

Argentine President Javier Milei has confirmed that a public holiday will be declared in honor of the national team, despite their defeat in the World Cup final held in North America. Although they lost the final to Spain, the head of state believes the efforts of the players and coaching staff throughout the tournament deserve high recognition. This is reported by Goal.com reports .

According to Goal.com, the Argentine government made an unexpected decision, granting the team the right to choose the specific date for the celebrations. Despite losing 1-0 in the final due to a goal by Ferran Torres and failing to retain the world title, the "Albiceleste" were supported by the president.

Unexpected decision and public outcry

This decision has sparked heated debate among the Argentine public. Many fans and experts consider it illogical to declare a national holiday for a team that failed to register a single shot on target in the final and finished as runners-up. Some citizens even suspected the news was a technical error.

President Javier Milei did not personally attend the final in New York due to his superstitious beliefs. However, he explained his decision via social media: "Taking into account the concerns regarding celebrating the result achieved by our national team, I announce that whatever day the players and coaching staff choose to celebrate, that day will be declared a public holiday."

The head of state also defended Lionel Messi and his teammates, emphasizing that they fought until the end. "Thank you very much, players. We fought bravely until the end. Argentina is always at the top," Milei added in his subsequent post.

Lionel Messi and the team's future

The Argentine national team's coaching staff currently faces a serious challenge. Experts led by Lionel Scaloni are forced to search for new talents to replace veteran players preparing to leave the international stage. In this regard, the situation concerning team captain Lionel Messi remains particularly uncertain.

It is speculated that this was the sixth and final World Cup of 39-year-old Lionel Messi's career. The star player, who currently plays for Inter Miami, has not yet made an official statement regarding his retirement from the national team. Fans emphasize that the team's future renewal process would be more beneficial than celebratory festivities.