Argentine defender Romero calls former footballer, presenter Neville 'stupid'

Argentina defender Cristian Romero has fired back at former England international and television pundit Gary Neville, calling him "stupid" after the Albiceleste defeated England 2-1 to secure a place in their second consecutive World Cup final.

Prior to the semi-final clash, Neville had made controversial remarks during his analysis on ITV and Sky Sports regarding Argentina's center-back pairing of Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martinez. Neville described the duo as "the best, but also the worst center-back partnership in the world," claiming that the two defenders were the reason Argentina conceded a goal in almost every match.

Romero and Martinez offered a strong response on the pitch at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Despite both receiving yellow cards, they limited England's attack to just two shots on target throughout the game, helping the defending world champions mount a late comeback to win 2-1 after trailing in the first half.

Speaking to DSports after the match, Romero did not hold back when asked about Neville's comments.

"I just hope that when I retire, I don't become that stupid," Romero said. "I would never want to criticize a player like that. We always try to give our best for the national team. Sometimes it goes well, sometimes it goes badly. But we are thrilled to be in another World Cup final. I believe we are making history. We deeply understand the value of this shirt, and playing for our country is our greatest pride."

Lisandro Martinez also addressed the criticism. The Manchester United defender stated that they are used to people talking about them, but emphasized that they prefer to deliver their response through their performances on the pitch.

Romero and Martinez have played together in five of Argentina’s six matches during this World Cup campaign, keeping two clean sheets and conceding a total of six goals. Despite the criticism, the defensive duo continues to establish themselves as the core of Argentina's backline.