Fresh information has emerged about what happened inside Argentina’s dressing room before the World Cup final, amid long-running speculation that the team may have deliberately lost the match.
Argentine journalist Renzo Pantich has rejected claims of match manipulation and said there was nothing unusual about the events leading up to the final. According to him, several players were dealing with physical problems before the game, which influenced coach Lionel Scaloni’s tactical decisions.
Pantich said three players felt discomfort during the warm-up. Before Scaloni’s final team discussion, the players reportedly informed the medical staff about their problems, while the coach was also aware of the situation.
Two of the players were identified as Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martinez. Both later suffered more serious injuries. Pantich could not confirm the identity of the third player but suggested that he may have been a midfielder, as several players in that area were already showing signs of fatigue.
The journalist also described the atmosphere inside Argentina’s dressing room before the match. He said Scaloni regularly consulted his players about tactical plans and had previously held similar discussions with figures such as Leandro Paredes, Rodrigo De Paul, Lionel Messi and goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
According to Pantich, Argentina entered the final with a number of physical concerns after a demanding tournament. The team had also studied Spain’s style of play and prepared for the possibility of facing them, but the circumstances surrounding the final made it difficult to use an aggressive approach.
As a result, Scaloni reportedly opted for a more cautious strategy. The plan was to remain defensively organised, limit Spain’s opportunities and take the match as deep as possible, with the possibility of reaching extra time and eventually a penalty shootout.
Pantich explained that Argentina’s assessment of Spain also influenced the approach. Spain had conceded very few goals during the tournament, while opponents had struggled to create a high number of chances against them. Scaloni therefore feared that an overly attacking approach could leave Argentina vulnerable to conceding several goals.
The defensive strategy, however, was not universally accepted inside the dressing room.
Emiliano Martinez reportedly disagreed with the approach and argued that Argentina needed to attack. Another player also supported a more aggressive plan, stressing that this was a World Cup final and that the team had enough quality to take the game to its opponents.
Amid the tactical debate, Messi reportedly attempted to calm the squad shortly before they walked onto the pitch. He encouraged his teammates to forget the discussion, remain composed and focus on playing their natural game.
Pantich said the disagreement occurred shortly before the final tactical discussion and was part of the players’ internal debate over how Argentina should approach the decisive match.
His account offers a different perspective on the rumours surrounding the final, suggesting that injuries, fatigue and tactical disagreements—not a deliberate decision to lose—played a role in the team’s preparations.
