Argentina midfielder Alexis Mac Allister has claimed that other countries were happy that his country lost to Spain in the final, but Andoni Iraola will be interested in how it affects the club’s form.
Alexis Mac Allister to return to Liverpool after Argentina’s World Cup prank (Image: 2026 Liverpool FC)
Whatever you think of the actions of Argentina’s players during and after the World Cup final, you have to admire their siege mentality.
They are criticized from various angles, but they only double down on how proud they are and how criticism makes them stronger. There will be no apologies now or ever. Patriotism is difficult to measure, but there is clearly no shortage of it among Argentine soccer players.
And in general, their messages to supporters and their home country tend to be a bit more emotional than those delivered by English players. Lisandro Martinez even incorporated popular modern philosophy into his consideration of the trial.
“Remember that the fall of the great is the joy of the mediocre,” Martinez posted. Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister echoed this theme, writing: “Thank you to all the people from other countries who send us messages that either mock our pain or rejoice in it. Unintentionally, you make us feel more and more proud to be Argentinians every day.”
It looks like Mac Allister won’t be apologizing for the actions of some of his team-mates anytime soon. And when he mentions “other countries”, there is no doubt that England is at the top of his list.
It will be interesting to see how Argentine Premier League players will be received when the new club season begins in the middle of next month. There won’t be any overt hostility, but there will definitely be reminders of how they conducted themselves on the game’s biggest stage in New Jersey.
Mac Allister was wrong when he said people were “making fun of or taking pleasure in our pain”. People were not “joking or rejoicing”, but simply pointing out that Argentina had turned out to be a rotten, violent loser on this occasion.
Alexis Mac Allister was one of Argentina’s most influential players in reaching the World Cup finals (Image: Juan Luis Diaz/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)
The same point will be made when Mac Allister and Martinez take to the field for Liverpool and Manchester United in the Premier League. And coach Andoni Iraola in particular will be hoping that the antipathy toward the Argentina national team will give Mac Allister a boost after a mostly sluggish season.
Mac Allister played 37 Premier League games for Liverpool last season, scoring two goals and providing four assists. In the 2024/25 season, he played in 35 games and recorded 5 goals and 5 assists.
He was tireless at the World Cup – only Rodri covered more distance in the competition – but often appeared to disrupt the pace as Liverpool struggled to finish fifth. Following reports linking Mac Allister with a move to Real Madrid, Iraola was forced to stress that he wants to keep the 27-year-old.
Liverpool’s new manager said: “I think Alexis is one of the best players we’ve had at the club over the last few years and he did very well at the World Cup so it’s natural that other clubs want our best players. But I want to keep our good players.”
fair enough. But he definitely wants to keep the 24/25 Mac Allister instead of the 25/26 Mac Allister.
Perhaps his anger at “ridicule and glee” will motivate him to return to his best. I’m sure Liverpool fans and Iraola hope so.
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