Gary Neville emerged as one of the most vocal pundits in the buildup to England‘s highly anticipated semifinal clash against Argentina at the 2026 World Cup, directing specific scrutiny toward the Argentine defensive line. After successfully securing their ticket to the final, Cristian “Cuti” Romero delivered a stinging response to the former Manchester United defender, stating, “I hope I’m not that stupid when I retire.“
In the days leading up to kickoff, Neville had offered some incredibly harsh criticism of Argentina‘s starting center-back pairing of Romero and Lisandro Martinez in one of the last editions of The Overlaps podcast, branding them as a major liability: “I do not see any way we won’t score at least 2 goals against Argentina… I call them the best-worst central defensive duo in the world. They go from the sublime to the ridiculous.”
While arguing that the pairing was highly vulnerable defensively, Neville did begrudgingly acknowledge their unique ability to make an impact on the opposite end of the pitch. “You’ve got Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martinez who seem to give away a goal between them per game! Then you see them again and it turns out they’re scoring goals, winning all the headers and popping up everywhere!”
Romero and Martinez issue joint response to Neville
Following the final whistle, Romero spoke with DSports and immediately addressed the pre-match talk originating from across the Atlantic: “In England they are used to talking a lot before the match, so we send them a big hello; they must be very happy.“
Djed Spence #25 of England is tackled by Cristian Romero #13 of Argentina.
Martinez was equally dismissive of the relentless criticism, reflecting on the media landscape in the British Isles. “We are used to them always talking about us. You can tell they like to talk about us, and we respond on the pitch. Nothing more, always with respect,” he stated.
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However, Romero pulled no punches when specifically pressed on Neville’s comments: “The only thing I hope for when I retire is that I won’t be that stupid. Ultimately, it’s up to each person, but when I retire down the line, I hope I don’t find myself criticizing a player or underestimating anyone, because in the end, you go out there to do the best for your club or national team.“
Romero concluded his statement by setting his expectations ahead of the final on Sunday, his fifth one already with the Argentina national team: “After that, it can go right or wrong, but we are happy to be in a World Cup final again. We are making history; for us, it is something huge. We feel the shirt like no one else.“
