Argentine Union Leader Clashes with Spanish Writer Over Football Criticism

Veteran Argentine union leader Juan Carlos Schmid has sharply responded to Spanish writer Arturo Pérez-Reverte's criticisms of the Argentine national football team following the 2026 World Cup final. Schmid, who served as the general secretary of the CGT between 2016 and 2018, advised Pérez-Reverte to focus on his literary pursuits.

"Dedicate yourself to literature or to sailing because you do it very well. But you know nothing about football and its passion," Schmid stated on social media. He drew a parallel between Pérez-Reverte and the writer Jorge Luis Borges, suggesting that neither had experienced the passion of football from the stands, implying a lack of genuine understanding.

Pérez-Reverte had previously expressed strong disapproval of the Argentine players' conduct after the final match, describing their behavior as "uncouth," "dirty," and unrepresentative of Argentina. He argued they embodied only the "most violent and irrational part of a certain detestable Argentine society."

Schmid, known for his past association with Hugo Moyano and his current roles in transport unions, defended the team's spirit. The exchange also involved Argentine politician Alejandro Finocchiaro, who engaged with Pérez-Reverte on social media. Finocchiaro accused critics of launching a campaign against the national team and captain Lionel Messi, framing it as an attack on Argentina's essence of "humility, work, effort, and merit."