Mac Allister: I still needed time to process Messi leaving the national team

Liverpool and Argentina midfielder Mac Allister was interviewed by "The Edul Brothers" today. In the second part of this exclusive interview, Mac Allister reflected on the World Cup final defeat by Spain, discussing his regrets over the match, the team's attitude towards online conspiracy theories, and stories of teammates playing through injuries.

Reporter: You have just played in your second World Cup. Remarkably, you won the first one and became a world champion, and in the second, we came so close to defending the title. That would have been a historic feat. I don't know whether that wound has healed or whether everyone is still thinking about that match against Spain...

Mac Allister: We always try to look at things from a positive perspective. Not being able to lift the World Cup trophy was immensely painful because we all felt so close to it, and everyone believed we were fully capable of winning the final. But the reality is that Spain played much better and deserved to win the title. Even when we weren’t at our best, we still came very close to victory. That’s what’s most frustrating. Still, for me, it was an incredible experience. The World Cup now has eight matches, and playing all eight and reaching the final is a remarkable achievement in itself. The national team may now be embarking on a new era, without Leo, without the greatest player in history...

Reporter: Yes, the loss of the team's core leader.

Mac Allister: Even so, I believe this team still has a bright future, with many exceptionally talented young players coming through. I hope this marks the beginning of a new chapter, or a continuation of our glorious journey.

Reporter: How many people stopped you in the street, or how many family members and friends called you to ask, "What really happened in the final?"

Mac Allister: Not that many, actually. I think it's also because everyone around me comes from a football family and understands that there are no conspiracies in football. Unfortunately, setting this specific incident aside, we live in a world where social media is full of baseless claims, people show no restraint in what they say online, and anyone can spout nonsense. A few days ago, someone sent me a message on social media claiming that, after Como beat Man United, Nico Paz said I had told him something because of the rivalry between Liverpool and Man United, you know. That's how it is now, with so much far-fetched fake news...

Reporter: People often don't care about the truth. They just want something to consume, and that's the problem. They want to confirm their own theories. They settle on a particular narrative, and even if you explain that the facts are different, they often stick to their guns. As a player, when you read those conspiracy theories, do you feel angry, amused, or completely indifferent?

Mac Allister: Completely indifferent. As I just said, I come from a football family, and I know very well that this is part of the football world and the environment we are in. Everyone is free to talk nonsense, and deep down, we know exactly what happened. That's enough. It's no big deal.

Reporter: We spoke with E. Martinez and several other teammates earlier. Did you feel strongly at the time that if the game went to a penalty shootout, we would definitely win? It felt like we just needed to hold on a little longer because victory in a shootout seemed certain.

Mac Allister: E. Martinez would emphatically say yes.

Reporter: Naturally. He would never back down; he loves those big occasions.

Mac Allister: He enjoys that so much. Over the past few years, we have been fortunate enough to win a few tough matches in penalty shootouts, including a World Cup final. So naturally, everyone has that confidence, but no one can guarantee anything in a penalty shootout. We must build on the positives and use the lessons as motivation to keep improving.

Reporter: We could hardly believe how badly E. Martinez's hand was injured, as the news we received at the time was that he had fractured a finger. You watched him train every day, even with one of his fingers completely immobilized.

Mac Allister: Yes, it was truly incredible. Most goalkeepers suffer finger injuries of varying severity, but he never let it show during the World Cup. In fact, his finger was in that condition from the very beginning, and we saw firsthand how much pain he endured. He did everything he could to train just so he could play...

Reporter: Yes, he even used a volleyball, trying all sorts of tricks.

Mac Allister: He tried everything he could think of and gave his all, just like everyone else in our team. I also heard people outside the team say that some players barely made it to the final, but the truth is that we gave absolutely everything. It was truly disappointing not to win the championship.

Reporter: You must have been exhausted by the time you reached the final. How tired did you feel at that point, and did you feel your body could still cope?

Mac Allister: Frankly, I felt okay at the time. Of course, there was fatigue from playing a match every three days. We did so much running, and the mental strain was huge. The match against England was extremely intense and mentally draining. I think the pressure before the match, given the history between the two countries and the fervent atmosphere in Argentina itself, probably drained us even more subconsciously. But personally, I didn't feel physically depleted. In fact, I looked at the post-match running data, and our overall performance was still excellent. I ran almost 15 kilometers myself...

Reporter: Your physical performance indicators remained at their usual high level.

Mac Allister: Yes, the physical numbers were actually similar to usual. But the problem was that we didn't perform well in purely footballing terms, and that's where the opponent opened up the gap because, without a doubt, they are the best team in the world today.

Reporter: Wait, you almost scored against England.

Mac Allister: Twice. I came very close to scoring, but both shots hit the post.

Reporter: Yes, two shots hit the post. After the second, Lautaro scored on the rebound.

Mac Allister: Exactly, Lautaro scored from the rebound.

Reporter: Were you extremely frustrated at that moment?

Mac Allister: Very frustrated, especially with the first header. My positioning was ideal, and the pass was perfectly placed. If I remember correctly, we were 0-1 down at the time...

Reporter: Yes, that could have been an equalizer.

Mac Allister: I was particularly upset. But to be honest, at that moment I told myself: "It's okay. If the ball doesn't go in now, it means God is saving the goal for the final." That's what I thought at the time. Although the final didn't go as planned, I always believe that when things don't go as I expect, I should try to find something positive or some extra motivation in them.

Reporter: Have you fully come to terms with Messi’s departure from the national team?

Mac Allister: I don't think so yet. I don't think the whole team has fully processed it, just as it took us time to process winning the World Cup. It takes a long time to truly take in an event of that magnitude. I don't think we've fully realized yet that Leo will no longer be fighting alongside us.

Reporter: Perhaps that feeling will truly sink in when the next training camp begins...

Mac Allister: Maybe. I understand all the discussion surrounding him, and I fully respect his decision. But deep down, I still feel that the door might be ajar at some point in the future. Yes, that's my intuition, because he gave everything to the national team, always played a decisive role on the pitch, and dominated games at the World Cup at the age of 39. But of course, I fully understand his choice...

Reporter: He still looks so energetic and continues to perform at such a high level on the field.

Mac Allister: Truly incredible. Every time I talk to my club teammates here about Messi's performances at the World Cup, they find it unbelievable.