In the 2026 World Cup final, Argentina lost to Spain 1‑0 and the match was decided on penalties. The Argentine midfielder Enzo Fernández, who was champion with the Albiceleste in Qatar 2022 and now plays for Manchester City, stated in an interview with the Argentine media @losedul that, according to him, the team would have won the penalty shootout. “On penalties we would have won,” said Fernández, citing Argentine striker Dibu Martínez as the player who “does not fail” on penalties, despite having played with a finger injury.
The 25-year-old player recalled that La Roja “was superior” during the match and that the defeat was not due to internal problems in the locker room. “Nothing happened, everything was a lie, invented,” he said, denying any conflict within the team. Fernández also spoke about the emotional moment of Lionel Messi's farewell to the national team, describing it as “a very immense pain.”
Regarding his career, Fernández explained that he moved to Manchester City on September 1, after a transfer from Chelsea for 145 million euros. Previously, he had gone through Benfica, where he arrived after leaving River Plate, and before that, he had played for the Argentine club. The midfielder also mentioned that he has a contract with the Etihad club until 2031, but that he plans to return to River Plate in the future to "win things and enjoy the River world for more years than I was there."
The Argentine striker, who was also sent off in the 93rd minute of the final, concluded that the outcome of the penalty shootout would have been different if the team had maintained confidence in its key players. "We had Dibu. We knew that he doesn't fail there," he emphasized. With these comments, Fernández makes it clear that his assessment of the match focuses on the execution of the penalties and not on the referee's tactical decisions. The next stage for the Argentine team will be preparation for the 2027 Copa América, while Manchester City will continue to have the presence of Fernández in the midfield.