Paredes admits Spain were better — and leaves his Argentina future up in the air
Back at Boca, Paredes opened up about the World Cup final defeat to Spain and admitted he doesn't know whether he'll carry on with the Albiceleste.
The pain is still raw. Leandro Paredes returned to the pitch for Boca Juniors on Wednesday, but the World Cup final against Spain is still weighing on him — and the Argentine made no attempt to hide it.
The 32-year-old midfielder started in a 1–0 win over O'Higgins in the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana play-off round. The goal came from Uruguayan Miguel Merentiel. The Xeneize faithful welcomed Paredes back with applause throughout all 90 minutes. "That the fans applauded and cheered me for the whole match is something beautiful," he told ESPN.
But it was his comments on the World Cup that drew the most attention. Asked about the conspiracy theories that circulated after Argentina's defeat to Spain in the final, Paredes was blunt: "We don't pay them any attention. We know we had a great World Cup, and in the final Spain were superior. They deserved to win and they deserved to be champions."
No beating around the bush. No excuses. And with the weight of someone who was there.
"We're left with the bitter taste of not having achieved our goal, but with the pride of having given everything," he added.
What remained unresolved was his future with the Albiceleste. Paredes admitted he still doesn't know whether he'll continue. "I don't know if I'm up for carrying on. It's a process you have to digest and think through," he said. He described the cycle as "beautiful" and "spectacular," but made clear that losing a World Cup final "is going to hurt for a long time."
While Argentina digests the defeat, Spain continues to celebrate the title. Golmetria's model had given the Spanish an 18.55% chance of winning the tournament before it began — and they delivered.
Will Paredes carry on wearing the Argentina shirt? For now, only time will tell.