The war of words between Gary Neville and Cristian Romero has intensified following Argentina’s tense 2-1 semi-final win over England, with Neville standing firm on his criticism of the Tottenham defender.
Romero, now one game away from a second straight World Cup title, took aim at Neville after the win, sarcastically crediting him for the extra motivation and adding that he hopes he never turns into the kind of pundit who publicly criticises fellow players once his career is over.
The comments were a response to Neville’s earlier remarks branding Romero and Argentina teammate Lisandro Martínez the “best worst centre-backs in the world” following the last-16 win over Egypt — praise for their ability paired with a warning about their error-proneness.
Neville didn’t back down when pressed on Sky Sports, pointing out Argentina had conceded six goals across their knockout matches and suggesting the defensive pair owe a debt to Lionel Messi for repeatedly bailing the team out.
He also brought up Romero’s club form, noting Tottenham’s difficult Premier League season, in which the team narrowly avoided relegation after conceding 65 league goals.
While acknowledging Romero’s talent and fearless approach to defending, Neville maintained he’s still too error-prone and lacks the consistency expected of a top-tier centre-back, describing both him and Martínez as players capable of brilliance but also costly lapses.
Not everyone agrees with that take, though. Some fans point out that blaming a defender for a team’s overall goals conceded overlooks how defending works as a collective effort in the modern game.
Romero has drawn plenty of praise for his tournament performances, with many rating him among the best defenders on show — and none of Argentina’s knockout-stage goals have been pinned on individual errors from him.
For Tottenham fans, the real frustration lies in the gap between Romero’s dominant displays for Argentina and his more up-and-down form at club level. He continues to look like one of the best in the world in an Argentina shirt, but supporters are still hoping to see that same consistency translate to Tottenham.
