Beijing Time (CEST) July 23, according to Argentine media outlet Olé, Mariano Peña, who represented Spain in the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, stated that although he inwardly hoped Argentina would win, he also admitted that Spain's performance in the final was clearly superior, and the final score did not fully reflect the gap between the two teams.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup final between Spain and Argentina was not just an ordinary match for Peña. As someone with both Argentine and Spanish backgrounds, his emotions were always torn. 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 career in Spain and represented Spain in the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Nevertheless, Peña admitted: "If I had to choose a champion, I would want it to be Argentina. But losing to Spain was the least painful kind of defeat. I became a mature player in Spain and spent eight very special years there."
In an interview with the Spanish news agency EFE, Peña also discussed the course of the final. He believes 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 in the match, 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 of the controversies surrounding the match after the final, believing that much of the discussion had strayed from football itself.
"I think many of the 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, maintaining the appropriate attitude. But there have always been voices from outside suggesting that FIFA wanted to see Messi win the championship."
Peña played for several Spanish clubs, including Atlético Madrid and Getafe CF, and was eventually selected for the Spanish national team.
When discussing some controversial behaviors after the final, Peña also criticized: "Such things should not happen, because billions of people worldwide are watching the game. We must set an example for young people. Life should remain healthy and pure. After the game, people should congratulate and applaud each other, and that's it, because they are all the best teams and players."
In addition, Peña particularly praised Messi and Argentina coach Scaloni's attitudes after the match. He believes both recognized 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, Argentina would have struggled to get to the final. Ultimately, the trophy went to the best team – they defended best, had more possession, and were better in attack, there's no other explanation."
Peña concluded by saying: "Spain fully deserved to win the FIFA World Cup."
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