Cristian Romero has fired back at Gary Neville, calling the former England defender 'stupid' for criticising his centre-back partnership with Lisandro Martinez during the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Neville, working as a pundit for ITV and Sky Sports, had labelled Romero and Martinez 'the best, worst centre-half pairing in the world' in the build-up to Argentina's semi-final win over England.
The pair responded by helping Argentina limit England to just two shots on target in a 2-1 victory in Atlanta, booking their second successive World Cup final spot.
Speaking to DSports, the Tottenham Hotspur defender did not hold back.
'The only thing that I hope for is that when I retire, I am not that stupid. Hopefully I won't criticise a player or anyone,' Romero said. 'Because at the end of the day, we are doing our best for our national team. Sometimes it goes right for us, sometimes badly, but we are just happy to be in a World Cup final again. I think we are making history, for us it is something really huge, and we feel the significance of this shirt like no-one else.'
Martinez, who plays for Manchester United, added: 'We're used to people always talking about us. It seems like they like doing it, and we respond on the pitch, that's it, always with respect.'
The duo have started all but one of Argentina's World Cup matches this summer, keeping two clean sheets in six games, and will face Spain in Sunday's final.
Transfer clouds gather despite World Cup heroics
While Romero focuses on international glory, his club future remains uncertain. Reports in Italy suggest Inter Milan are interested in signing the 28-year-old, but Tottenham's reported €50 million asking price is proving a stumbling block for the Nerazzurri.
Sportitalia claim the Premier League side are standing firm on their valuation, making any deal difficult for Inter unless they significantly adjust their budget.
Romero, who has won 57 caps for Argentina, is under contract at Tottenham until 2027, leaving the north London club in a strong negotiating position.
Neville's original comments
Neville had made his remarks on the Overlap Podcast, saying: 'They seem to give a goal away between them every single game. But you watch them, they are scoring goals, heading the ball, they're literally everywhere - it's incredible. I call them the best, worst centre-half pairing in the world. Because they absolutely at times can be unbelievable, but the next, it's the sublime to the ridiculous.'
The criticism clearly stung, but Romero and Martinez are now just 90 minutes away from a second world title, having lost only two of their last 20 internationals together.
Argentina face Spain in the World Cup final on Sunday (20:00 BST), while England take on France in the third-place match on Saturday (22:00).