Gianni Infantino sent a letter to the president of the Argentine Football Association (AFA), Claudio "Chiqui" Tapia, congratulating the main team on their campaign to the World Cup final, in which Argentina ended up being defeated by Spain 1-0, after extra time.
"Brazen": Letter from Infantino to Argentina after the World Cup sparks outrage
Gianni Infantino sent a letter to the president of the Argentine Football Association (AFA), Claudio "Chiqui" Tapia, congratulating the main team on their campaign to the World Cup final, in which Argentina ended up...
The letter, signed by the FIFA president, is dated July 20, Monday, one day after the decision played at the MetLife Stadium, in East Rutherford, in the state of New Jersey, in the United States. However, the document has only now been released by the Argentine newspaper La Nación.
"Dear Mr. President. Yesterday, Sunday, July 19, 2026, at the magnificent New York Stadium in New Jersey, Argentina won the silver medal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, after a thrilling final against Spain. I want to reiterate my most sincere congratulations on this new important result for Argentine football," Infantino wrote.
"The 2026 World Cup will be remembered as an unforgettable celebration of football, marked by spectacular matches, the emergence of new talents, the presence of the sport's greatest stars and the extraordinary atmosphere experienced in stadiums full of fans. The excellent performance of the Argentine national team also contributed decisively to making this edition an exceptional event, which enchanted millions of football lovers around the world", he continued.
"I ask you to convey my most sincere congratulations to everyone who contributed to this magnificent result: to the players, to coach Lionel Scaloni, as well as to the technical and medical committee and, of course, to the countless fans who followed and supported the team throughout the competition", he added.
At the end of the message, Gianni Infantino stated that "these achievements are always the result of constant work, professionalism and attention to detail, but also of passion, commitment and love for this wonderful sport", characteristics that, according to him, point to "a very promising future" and "new great successes for Argentine football".
From Infantino's "brazenness" to criticism of Argentina's behaviorGianni Infantino sent similar letters to Spain, the tournament champion, and England, who won the bronze medal. However, it was precisely the message aimed at Argentina that generated the greatest international repercussion.
In England, the Daily Mail newspaper harshly criticized the content of the letter.
"FIFA President Gianni Infantino shamelessly praised Argentina's 'professionalism' in an insensitive letter sent to the country's federation, despite ordering an investigation into the team's behavior following the World Cup final defeat to Spain," the paper wrote.
The publication recognizes that sending congratulatory letters to medal-winning teams is a common practice after the World Cup, but considers that "the choice of words is questionable".
The Daily Mail also criticized the so-called "anti-game" practiced by Lionel Messi's team throughout the competition.
According to the newspaper, the indignation is due not only to the "post-match confusion involving Nahuel Molina, Thiago Almada and assistant coach Roberto Ayala" in the final, but also to the "frequent simulations and artifices, in a provocative performance" by Argentina in the semi-final against England.
Read Also: Messi appears in public for the first time after the World Cup: 'crazy'
Source: Noticias ao Minuto - Esporte
This story was originally published by Noticias ao Minuto - Esporte. Visit the original publication for further details.
Open original publication
