Gary Neville harshly criticizes Argentina: They played very poorly

Former England and Manchester United defender, now a prominent pundit, Gary Neville has harshly criticized the performance of the Argentina national team, who lost to Spain in the World Cup final. In his view, Lionel Scaloni's side displayed a completely lackluster performance in the final match. This is reported by Goal.com reports .

According to Goal.com, while discussing Argentina's performance, Neville acknowledged the team's grit in reaching the final and forcing extra time, but rated the overall quality as very low. The expert noted that "La Albiceleste" struggled to threaten the opponent's goal throughout the match, managing their first shot only in extra time.

Speaking on "The Overlap" podcast, Neville expressed his thoughts in very blunt and open terms. According to him, Argentina played very poorly in the final and stayed in the game only due to luck and strong willpower. Spain, meanwhile, secured a deserved victory thanks to Ferran Torres' 106th-minute goal.

The Lionel Messi factor and team dependency

Gary Neville stated that Argentina's success is largely tied to Lionel Messi, and this situation has been masking the team's general shortcomings. He believes that without Lionel Messi, this team would not have even reached the tournament's knockout stages.

"They have great chemistry and a strong competitive spirit that drives them forward. They also have a great player in attack who can decide any situation. Without him, it would be very difficult for the team to achieve such high results," the former footballer added.

Neville's comments sparked significant debate on social media and within the football community. While many agree with the pundit, Argentina fans have defended the team's journey to the final and the character they displayed. Nevertheless, statistics confirm Spain's clear dominance in the final.

For football fans in Uzbekistan, the rivalry between Argentina and Spain has always been intriguing. Neville's criticism once again highlights the dangers of relying on a single star in modern football. Experts are repeatedly emphasizing that Argentina must now think more seriously about its future in the post-Lionel Messi era.