De Paul's father refutes conspiracy theories after Argentina's World Cup final loss

Hupu, July 22 – In the 2026 World Cup final, the Argentine team lost to Spain at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Following the match, rumors spread on social media, particularly regarding Messi's pre-final motivational speech in which he said "Forget everything," sparking various speculations.

In response to conspiracy theories such as "Argentina was destined not to win in the United States," Argentine midfielder Rodrigo De Paul's father, Roberto, gave a strong rebuttal in an interview.

When asked "What really happened in the locker room?" Roberto stated bluntly:

"I don't believe those conspiracy theories. In a competition like the World Cup, many rumors are fabricated. I don't believe that after years of hard preparation, a professional player would be told 'You have to lose.' Many words are taken out of context. Social media can sometimes convey good information, but it can also be terrible. I don't believe there are such tricks in high-level competitive sports."

Mac Allister's father, Carlos, faced similar questions. In an interview, he said that many media outlets find it hard to accept the simple fact that "they lost because the opponent played better" and insist on digging for hidden meanings.

Carlos revealed that he privately messaged his son asking, "Did something happen in the locker room?" Mac Allister gave a clear answer: Messi's words were 100% about football tactics.

"My son told me that Messi was talking about the game mentality. He meant for everyone to play freely, to pass, to run, to coordinate, rather than blindly kicking the ball forward or losing possession. As a result, those words were interpreted in countless ways by outsiders," Carlos said helplessly.

Head coach Scaloni appeared even more confused when facing such doubts. He said he does not use social media at all and knows nothing about online rumors. When asked if there were internal conflicts within the team, he even found it unbelievable: "I can't believe you're asking that question."

Although De Paul stayed in the U.S. to handle follow-up matters and did not return home immediately, he issued a strongly worded statement on social media.

He wrote:

"Today I saw how many people were waiting for us to fall. They fabricated baseless conspiracy theories throughout the World Cup just to ease their own pain, because they can't enjoy football the way the Argentine people do. Our smiles upset them, our way bothers them. But this only makes us more convinced that love for this jersey can overcome everything."

De Paul admitted that the pain of losing the championship will last a long time, but he is prouder than ever to be Argentine.

Roberto mentioned that he has not had a deep conversation with his son since the final, wanting to give him time to process the pain alone.

"Seeing the players cry because they didn't achieve their goal makes me both heartbroken and proud. It hurts me that Rodrigo apologized to the nation for not bringing the trophy back. But we must remember that this national team has brought us so much joy. In competitive sports, it's not easy to keep winning," Roberto lamented.

Source: infobae Posted in: Shanghai Reads: 377