Leandro Paredes spoke about his future with the Argentina national team, the World Cup and conspiracy theories.
Paredes played in the World Cup final for Argentina and on Thursday, he played with Boca Juniors. Speaking to ESPN Argentina after the match, here is what he had to say about his future with the Argentina national team:
“I think it’s going to be hard for many to think about a decision to continue or not. It’s going to be very difficult to maintain this level and for the group to function this way. You have to make a decision calmly.
“Me? I don’t know. It’s a process, you have to digest it, think about it. Surely, it’s something that needs to be discussed.”
The 32 year old also spoke about his rib injury:
“The rib? The severe pain was the first few days after the match against Egypt. We were carrying it well with treatments and anti-inflammatory to be able to endure it and luckily I could handle it very well.”
About the Argentina national team and the World Cup:
“It’s going to be a long process of getting over what we are going through. Yes, we won important things, losing a World Cup final will hurt for a long time because once more, we were so close.
“You still have to enjoy it because it’s not easy to maintain the level that we did for a long time, to achieve what we achieved.
“Although the final was lost, I think had a World Cup where people were reflected in us and that’s very rewarding. On that side, we are happy.”
Speaking with Diario Olé, here is what he had to say:
“The conspiracy theories? They are things we don’t care about.
“We are aware that we had a great World Cup. In the final, Spain was superior, deserved to win and be champion.”
Why hasn’t Messi announced retirement from NT yet? What’s more? Come on, we need to go ahead. Don’t be personal record glory seeker trying to outrun Ronaldo’s NT goal scoring or so. Let’s be honest- You are in descending mode no doubt. Every player, champion including, needs some humility at right time.
who the fk ru? bla blah, he will not retire right now. he is still a to p top player.
Why would he retire after just having a world class tournament? Age is just a number, and he has already said he’ll only consider retirement when he feels his body can no longer keep up. That clearly isn’t the case.
He is not player for Copa America 2028. 6km/per game today and will be less. It’s our loss. We need back that lost energy he is saving. To that all but one of driblings were failed. Then take a closer look at our players. Macca and others are looking not for the best option but just pass it to Messi most of the time. We need more balanced team now. It’s not balanced when 50% penalty kicker is taking it everytime. He is part of most shameful and helpless game in Argentina history. Purge needed. Messi was scoring against weaker opponents, not in last 3 games. We had easiest path to the final in history yet struggled a lot. Come on Messi, it’s high time for you. Otherwise it’s clear ego problem. Building another team around player who will be 41 and 43 during upcoming tournaments is kind of idiocy. The balanced team was against Brazil (4:1 without Messi). The very fact people want to stick with him after that symbolic shameful detronization in the final is madness.
@Maksym Optymus
– He didn’t run 6 km, he ran 10 km against Spain. He’s averaging around 8 km per match, which is a good number for a player playing up front.
– Mac Allister and the others keep looking for him because he creates magic almost every time he touches the ball.
– He didn’t score in the last three games because he was given virtually no chances. If you think Messi is only about scoring, you’re clueless. His performance against England was one of the greatest World Cup performances of all time. Against Spain, Argentina’s midfield couldn’t do anything. That’s not Messi’s fault. They couldn’t progress the ball or even get it to his feet.
– He was part of a shameful performance, but it’s hardly his fault. Our midfielders and Scaloni’s pragmatic tactics were far more responsible.
– Why are you obsessed with the numbers if the performances are still great? It doesn’t matter if Messi is 40 as long as he still plays like Messi.
– That Brazil team was one of the worst in their history, so beating them doesn’t prove much. Without Messi, we wouldn’t even have made it out of the group.
– People want him to stay because he’s still, by far, our best player.
If you have such a problem with Messi still playing for Argentina, then you can leave. He earned the right to continue with the World Cup he had.
Dont waste your time n intellect answeing some fuck name clown who is a Ronaldo fanboy.. Now its a running competition is it? Running earned him a permanent place in the worst 11 where he belongs as a human being also. Optymus you also find some hell hole and hide your ass there!!
ur not smart enough to have this convo clown. go back to being a penaldo ridder.
Messi was the one carrying Argentina. It was some disgraceful players like DePaul and Macalister who were clueless in that midfield. Imagine Messi having more passes and dribbles than DePaul it’s shows a big problem. The solution was to play younger players like Valentin barco, Nico Paz who could have added more creativity and physicality.
Parades had some gd moments in this world cup.
I remembered we were so excited to see him during Zenit time . He gradually improved and joined Roma , Psg. His Penalty in wc22 , and warrior mentality is really a true example for the young generation. But now i think perrone should get more chances than him. Yes as a sub parades can be still utilized.
And Otamendi . A defender who always makes me nervous whether as Man City or Arg player. But his leadership is noteworthy. Thanks ota for ur contribution. U helped us to keep clean sheet against Brazil in 2021 and ur goal against Uruguay and Brazil in wc qualifiers were the best moments.
So with eyes on the future with Otamendi announcing his retirement, who are we looking forward to seeing in the NT colours?
Personally, for centre back I’m feeling like Mariano Troilo should get a chance. He seems to have a good passing range, and reads the game decently well. Also an aerial threat too. Low sample size though since he only really played in the second half of the season. The Parma manager, Carlos Cuesta was a kid who used to Tweet about tactics and got hired to be an assistant coach at Arsenal and has gone onto be the youngest coach in Serie A and got them finishing mid table – also has Franco Carboni on the books too. Will have to see how he develops.
Anselmino is a huge talent too. His only issue is he’s injury prone like Emmanuel Mammana was back in the day. Needs to find a way of solving his glass hamstrings.
Any Primeira League watchers who can tell me about Sheyko Studer? Think it’ll just be Balerdi or Medina ahead with Cuti, Licha and Senesi locking down the 3 other CB spots.
Not a centre back but Maher Carrizo playing for Ajax puts him more well placed than many others for a NT call up in the coming years too. Though he has to make the most of it and not get sent packing back to Argentina like Lisandro Magallan from a few years ago.
Just looked more into Maher Carrizo and apparently he won’t be going straight into the first team but rather starting out at Jong Ajax in the youth team first. Not sure what I think about that but probably a sign to track back on what I just said about seeing him being in line with a NT call up soon lmaoo
He’s endearing himself to the Ajax fans well already though. He got his entire family in Argentina to wear Ajax shirts and pose for a family photo in their back garden which really pleased the Dutch lol
U forgot Valentin Gomez from Real Betis
Fairs, I keep missing him out because whenever he’s been spoken about in previous months before the World Cup, he was always seen as a potential LB option. Similar to how Medina is used currently.
Think he’s a good LB/LCB hybrid like Nathan Ake is. Lowkey feel like he’s built to be an Arteta LB who attacks forward like Calafiori and Hincapie do.
We need to call Oso. Sevilla.
Hmm not aware of him before, but he’s pretty tall from the looks of things which is a plus. We have a short backline so it would be helpful.
Otamendi was never a perfect defender every centre-back makes mistakes but what set him apart was his warrior mentality, leadership, and commitment every time he wore the Argentina shirt. He was one of the leaders who helped transform this team into back-to-back Copa América champions, World Cup winners, and the dominant side in South American football. I will always remember performances like the 2021 Copa América final against Brazil and the historic World Cup qualifying win at the Maracanã, where his goal helped hand Brazil their first-ever home defeat in a World Cup qualifier. His presence in both boxes, especially his aerial ability, will be incredibly difficult to replace. Romero, Senesi and the younger defenders are talented, but no one quite matches Otamendi’s leadership and dominance in the air.This is now a period of transition. Otamendi’s retirement marks the end of an era, and when Messi eventually retires, players like De Paul, Paredes,Lo Celso and others will gradually move on as well. That’s the natural cycle of football. Hopefully the next generation has learned from leaders like Otamendi because players with his mentality don’t come around very often.I’m still optimistic about the future because football always produces new stars when you least expect it. Just look at Cuti,he was nowhere near the Argentina picture, then he burst onto the scene, became Serie A Defender of the Year, and now he’s regarded as one of the best centre-backs in the world. That’s football you never know who’s going to be the next player to step up.My biggest concern is the wide positions. There is talent there, but young players need to be developed properly, guided well, and make the right career decisions. Take Franco Mastantuono, for example. He’s an unbelievable talent, but I personally feel a move to Real Madrid has come very early in his career. Hopefully it works out for him because the ability is definitely there. Garnacho is another player with enormous talent, but at the moment he has probably been the biggest disappointment considering his potential. Hopefully a move to Aston Villa happens because working under Unai Emery could be exactly what he needs. If he reaches his potential, he’ll be a top-class footballer.For me, Di-Maria was the last truly world-class Argentine winger. Since then, nobody has really reached that level. Soulé is one player who genuinely excites me. I’m not saying he’ll become another Di María, but he has the talent to become a very important player for Argentina. Hopefully this is the season he establishes himself and earns a regular place in the national team. There are also a few other exciting young wingers coming through, although they’re still very young.Hopefully Scaloni stays because he’s earned everyone’s trust. If he does leave, then whoever takes over has to continue building this team the right way. The experienced players are still important, but I think the rebuilding process has to start now. I’m not saying replace everyone overnight, but the transition should begin before the next Copa América so the new generation can build chemistry together ahead of the following World Cup. If we wait too long and don’t gradually introduce the next generation, it could be too late. The best teams evolve while they’re still winning, and hopefully Argentina can do exactly that.Finally, congratulations to Nicolás “El General” Otamendi on an outstanding international career and for everything he contributed to Argentina. He leaves behind an incredible legacy and will always be remembered as one of the warriors and leaders of the greatest era in our national team’s history. 🇦🇷
I know many of you here don’t like him but HEY… he did play some great game for us so i can’t let the GENERAL go without saying anything
and gave Brazil their first ever WC qualifier loss at home!
Everything that starts has to end someday. The sooner we accept it, the better prepared we will be.
With some players moving away from NT duties, Scaloni faces his biggest challenge yet. He cannot stay attached to the past for too long — the next four years will be about rebuilding Argentina without depending on Messi’s individual magic.
We need to build a team, not rely on moments of brilliance. There will be losses, mistakes, and difficult periods, so we must be patient.
Luckily, we have the freedom to experiment without major qualification pressure. This is the perfect time to test new players and create the next generation.
After the World Cup, many football giants — Germany, Italy, France, Portugal, Belgium, and the Netherlands — will also enter a new cycle.
A new era is coming. Argentina must embrace the rebuild. We Keep marching.
Absolutely, said the exact same thing 2 days ago, very excited to see younger and faster players……. I want to see KiLLer Speed
I’m scared of exactly what happened to Italy and German even Brasil. I think that’s why we need to be calm and think and make decisions wisely
There was a kid that played in the Olympic qualifiers or U17 world, two years ago or so, was a good dribbler with silver or bright grey hair…..anybody knows his name?
kiki ramos??
nope
Are you talking about Subiabre?
Yes! him
I wanna see this kid get a call-up
He is cooking. Let him cook. I don’t want him to go any big club then rotten in bench to be honest.
I spoke to a River Plate fan, and apparently he’s not been very good for them unfortunately – apparently daft in his decisions, though I’m not sure if he meant that in an on-pitch way or off-the-pitch way.
Is Argentina hosting 2028 Copa America?? They haven’t been host since 2011…..They should host the tournament in 2028 for 2030 WC preparation….Brothers from Argentina comment your thoughts on hosting 2028 Copa America
That’s what I’m hoping for as well
Had one moment of brilliance against Egypt.
Terrible against Switzerland.
Decent against England, although the team looked three times better after he was subbed off.
Absolutely terrible against Spain. Spain had just 3 shots in the first half, but 13 in the second while he was on the pitch. He was fortunate to avoid a red card and made the whole nation look like a joke by assaulting Spanish players. I believe Enzo got a soft red card cause referee lost his cool due to paredes antics beforehand
The most overrated player of the Scaloni era. There’s a reason he was never highly rated in Europe. If there’s one player I can’t stand and have zero respect for, it’s him.
No shame in this guy. Hopefully he’s played his last game for Argentina.
Hey man, show some respect. He’s a key player and becoming a legend, no matter what others talk about him!