Gary Neville Slams Argentina: "They Played Very Poorly in the Final"

Former England national team defender Gary Neville harshly criticized Argentina's performance in the 2026 World Cup final. Lionel Scaloni 's side suffered a 0-1 defeat without managing a single shot on target against Spain over 120 minutes.

According to Neville, the Argentines only survived until extra time in the decisive match due to team solidarity and fighting spirit.

"Let's be honest"

Evaluating Argentina's performance in the final on the show "The Overlap", Gary Neville used extremely harsh terms.

"Let's be honest: they played very poorly. You just have to give them credit for holding on for that long," Neville said.

The former player continued his criticism of the team's display, calling the football played "very weak."

Zero shots on target in 120 minutes

Argentina faced major difficulties in attack during the final against Spain. Scaloni's team failed to register a single shot on target throughout regulation and extra time.

Spain scored the only goal of the match and won 1-0.

For Neville, this lack of attacking efficiency was Argentina's biggest problem.

Team "chemistry" carried Argentina forward

At the same time, Neville also mentioned the strengths of the Argentina national team. He praised the mutual trust, solidarity, and combativeness within the squad.

"Sometimes they played poorly, but they moved forward thanks to the great team 'chemistry' and fighting spirit," he said.

In his view, Argentina did not always play high-quality football throughout the tournament, but they were able to unite as a team in difficult situations.

Neville emphasized the impact of the attacking leader

The former English player also noted that Argentina has an exceptionally talented player in attack capable of carrying the team.

According to Neville, without this leader, it would have been much harder for Argentina to even reach the semi-finals of the tournament.

However, in the World Cup final, even individual brilliance could not help break through Spain's disciplined defense.

Does the final performance overshadow Argentina's achievements?

Although Argentina reached the final, their attacking statistics in the decisive match intensified criticism against the team.

Neville's sharp remarks reflect this contradiction: on one side is a fighting team that reached the final, and on the other is an attack that went 120 minutes without a single shot on target.

Do you think Argentina really played very poorly in the final, or was Spain just that strong? Leave your thoughts in the comments.