Rodrigo De Paul Defends Argentina After World Cup Heartbreak

Rodrigo De Paul has never been one to hide in the shadows when Argentina come under fire. Days after their World Cup defence ended in heartbreak against Spain, he has stepped to the front again – this time not on the pitch at MetLife Stadium, but on social media.

Argentina’s 1-0 defeat after extra time denied Lionel Scaloni’s side the chance to become the first team in 64 years to retain the trophy. They had dragged themselves to the final, fought back, pushed the game beyond 90 minutes. Then watched it all slip away.

The inquest has not stopped at the result. Argentina’s behaviour has been dragged into the spotlight, their gamesmanship and discipline dissected and condemned in equal measure. The champions-turned-runners-up have found themselves cast as villains as much as losers.

De Paul has had enough of that narrative.

On Instagram, the midfielder delivered an emotional defence of the squad, accusing rival fanbases of waiting gleefully for Argentina to fall. He rejected the storm of criticism around the team’s conduct and made it clear the pain runs far deeper than a lost medal.

“The biggest pain is that we couldn't bring the World Cup to our country again,” he wrote, addressing Argentina’s supporters directly. “Because if there is anyone who deserved to live that feeling again, it was you.”

The defeat, he suggested, has been softened only by the realisation that the bond between this group and its people is no longer measured solely in silverware.

“As the hours go by,” De Paul continued, “they're dropping us that the identification they have with this group goes beyond the trophy and that's something I want to grab on to be able to transition into this moment.”

His message then turned outward, aimed squarely at those he believes have revelled in Argentina’s pain. De Paul accused detractors of spending the tournament spreading “baseless conspiracy theories” to ease their own frustration at not living what Argentines were experiencing.

“Today, I look at how many people were waiting for this fall,” he wrote, saying Argentina’s joy and personality had clearly struck a nerve. “Because our smiles bother them, because our ways get under their skin.”

The World Cup has slipped away, the chance at history gone with it. But in De Paul’s eyes, the fight around this Argentina side is far from finished – it has simply moved from the pitch to the court of public opinion.