Tagliafico: 'Spain Played Very Well and Was the Deserved Winner'

Nicolás Tagliafico, a key defender for the Argentine national team, has conceded that Spain's victory in the 2026 World Cup final was justified. Speaking on his Twitch channel, Tagliafico stated that Spain played "very well" and was the "deserved winner" of the match, which saw them clinch their second World Cup title.

“

Spain played very well and was the deserved winner.

Tagliafico candidly admitted that Argentina's path to the final had taken a significant toll on the squad. The team endured two matches that went into extra time, against Cape Verde in the round of 32 and Switzerland in the quarterfinals, along with comebacks against Egypt and England in the round of 16 and semifinals, respectively. He explained that these demanding games, while leading to qualification, left the players physically and mentally drained before the final showdown.

“

It's difficult to play almost every game the same way. Mentally, it ruins you. The joy of qualifying, yes, but going through all the games like that wears you out so much.

"It's difficult to play almost every game the same way. Mentally, it ruins you," Tagliafico said. "The joy of qualifying, yes, but going through all the games like that wears you out so much. The semifinal against England was also crazy... I don't want them to sound like excuses, but we arrived at the final exhausted, physically and mentally."

“

We arrived at the final exhausted, physically and mentally. Obviously, you are one step away and you want to give your best, but sometimes you win and sometimes you lose, you play badly, you play well; Spain played very well, it was the deserved winner, we played badly and football is like that.

Despite the disappointment of not retaining their title, Tagliafico expressed pride in Argentina's silver medal, emphasizing that reaching two consecutive finals and securing two medals is a remarkable achievement. He reflected on the 2022 final, where Argentina played well but almost lost, contrasting it with the 2026 final where they felt they were outplayed. "We have the gold medal from 2022. We should also be proud of the silver. It's not easy to reach two finals in a row or have two medals," he added. The defender also confirmed that the 2026 World Cup was likely his last, stating, "This World Cup, I think yes, it was the last. I can't do another one."

“

We have the gold medal from 2022. We should also be proud of the silver. It's not easy to reach two finals in a row or have two medals. We have to give it importance and we also have to know how to lose.