Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martinez have launched a blistering attack on Gary Neville after Argentina's dramatic 2-1 victory over England in the World Cup semi-final. The Tottenham and Manchester United defenders, who have been key figures in Argentina's run to the final, took exception to Neville's recent criticism of their defensive abilities.
England took the lead in the ill-tempered semi-final in Atlanta through Anthony Gordon's 55th-minute strike. However, Thomas Tuchel's side suffered a late collapse as Enzo Fernandez equalised before Lautaro Martinez scored the winner in the second minute of injury time, sending Argentina into Sunday's final against Spain.
Neville's 'Best Worst Centre-Halves' Comment
Last week, former Manchester United defender Neville branded Romero and Martinez as 'the best worst centre-halves in the world' following Argentina's 3-2 victory over Egypt in the last-16. Speaking on ITV's World Cup coverage, Neville said: 'They give goals away constantly, but they don't care about giving goals away because they'll score goals at the other end. And they have massive personalities and they keep going.'
Neville added: 'At that point in the game [when Egypt scored their second goal] you think Argentina are holding on for dear life. They're fighting for their lives and Romero is part of that comeback. Why is he there? You always ask the question. Why is Martinez scoring in the last game? They don't give in and they fight, and they fight, and they fight.'
Argentina Duo Respond
But speaking after Argentina's win over England, Romero and Martinez gave a joint interview where they were less than impressed with Neville's verdict. 'We're used to people always talking about us, it seems they just love talking about us,' Martinez told DSports Argentina. 'We don't really respond, we just let our play on the pitch do the talking, always with respect.'
When asked about Neville's comments, Romero replied: 'The only thing I hope is that when I retire, I don't act like such an idiot. Hopefully, down the line, I won't go around criticising players or anyone else. After all, you go out there trying to do your best for your team and your national team, sometimes it works out well, sometimes it doesn't, it's not the end of the world. We're making history here, it's huge for us. We feel the shirt like no one else, and we're really happy to be making history.'
World Cup Final Ahead
Argentina will now face Spain in the World Cup final at 8pm BST on Sunday. The match will be played at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, with Argentina aiming to retain the trophy they won in 2022.
