Peña: Spain played better in the final; argentina would struggle to reach the final without Messi

Beijing Time (CEST) July 23, according to Argentine media outlet Olé, Mariano Peña, who represented Spain in the 2006 Germany FIFA World Cup, stated that although he inwardly hoped Argentina would win the championship, he also admitted that Spain's performance in the final was clearly superior, and the final score did not adequately reflect the gap between the two teams.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup final between Spain and Argentina was not just any ordinary match for Peña. As someone with both Argentine and Spanish backgrounds, his emotions were always in a dilemma. On the one hand, he was born in Argentina and has deep affection for the Argentine national team; on the other hand, he spent important stages of his professional career in Spain and represented Spain in the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Despite this, Peña frankly admitted: "If I had to choose a champion, I would want it to be Argentina. But losing to Spain is the least painful kind of defeat. I became a mature player in Spain, and I spent eight very special years there."

In an interview with the Spanish news agency EFE, Peña also discussed the course of the final. He believed that Spain's final 1-0 victory did not fully reflect the game's progression.

"The result of the final was too conservative; Spain should have won by more. Based on their performance, they deserved a larger goal difference," Peña said.

Regarding Spain winning the FIFA World Cup again after many years, Peña revealed that his children had even asked him for a Spanish national team jersey with "two stars" printed on it.

However, he also expressed regret over some controversies surrounding the match after the final, believing that many discussions had deviated from football itself.

"I feel that many controversies initially came from comments by other countries, not Spain. They questioned some of Argentina's previous victories. De la Fuente has always been a very graceful person, and he has always maintained the appropriate attitude. But there have always been external voices suggesting that FIFA wanted to see Messi win the championship."

Peña played for several clubs in Spain, including Atlético Madrid and Getafe CF, and was eventually selected for the Spanish national team.

When discussing some controversial actions after the final, Peña also criticized: "Such things should not happen, because billions of people around the world are watching the game. We must set an example for young people. Life should remain healthy and pure. After the game, there should be mutual congratulations and applause, and that's all, because they are all the best teams and players."

In addition, Peña particularly praised the attitudes of Messi and Argentina coach Scaloni after the match. He believed that both acknowledged Spain's superiority.

"Football was fair to Spain; they were the better team. The same goes for Argentina, because they were able to reach the final thanks to Messi's efforts; without Messi, it would have been difficult for Argentina to reach the final. Ultimately, the trophy went to the best team – they defended best, had more possession, and attacked better; there's no other explanation."

Peña concluded: "Spain fully deserved to win the FIFA World Cup."

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