Lintas Opini – Berita Terkini, Akurat, Terpercaya – 24 Juli 2026 | Argentina‘s recent World Cup final was marred by unsportsmanlike conduct, including on-field altercations and players turning their backs during the trophy presentation. This incident highlights a pattern of controversial behavior, from racist chants to taunting opponents, which has damaged their global image.
For the past decade, Lionel Messi‘s immense popularity provided a ‘halo effect,’ making the team widely beloved and often forgiven despite these actions. However, with Messi’s impending retirement, this protective shield is gone. The team’s true character, now perceived as aggrieved and disliked internationally, is fully exposed.
This shift threatens Argentina’s global brand appeal and sponsor value, as their worldwide affection was largely borrowed from Messi, not inherently earned. The team’s reputation is whatever other people can’t stop noticing about them, no matter what they’d prefer they saw instead.
A series of incidents have contributed to this damaged reputation. After the 2022 final, and again on a team bus after the 2024 Copa América, Argentine players sang a song mocking French players’ African heritage, with a transphobic jab thrown at Kylian Mbappé for good measure. Enzo Fernández filmed it himself, live, then cut the feed a beat too late.
In the 2026 World Cup Final, the same player flew into a challenge so reckless the referee had no choice, and walked off having handed Spain the game. The goalkeeping pantomime, where Emiliano Martínez spent the last World Cup cycle holding a minute of silence ‘for Mbappé who is dead’ in the dressing room, then parading a baby doll with the kid’s face glued on it, played as cheeky in Argentina and as something uglier everywhere else.
These incidents, and the team’s behavior during the 2026 World Cup Final, have created a lasting impression on the global audience. Argentina’s reputation is now one of controversy and unsportsmanlike conduct, rather than the romantic and watchable team they once were.
In conclusion, Argentina’s damaged global image poses a significant threat to their brand appeal and sponsor value. Without Messi’s protective shield, the team’s true character is exposed, and it is up to them to recover and rebuild their reputation. This will require a significant shift in their behavior and a commitment to sportsmanship and respect for their opponents.
