Argentine Media Tear Into Four Players After Defeat — And Alexis Mac Allister’s “Uncomfortable” Verdict Could Spark a Fierce Debate. (rr)
Liverpool were always guaranteed to have at least one player celebrating after the 2026 World Cup final, but unfortunately for Alexis Mac Allister, it was Victor Munoz who ultimately returned from the United States with a winner’s medal.
Argentina pushed Spain deep into extra time and frustrated the eventual champions for long stretches, but Ferran Torres finally broke the deadlock in the 106th minute. That goal proved decisive as Spain completed the tournament with the trophy, leaving Argentina and Mac Allister to reflect on a painful defeat.
The Liverpool midfielder played a disciplined but relatively subdued role throughout the final. Rather than being given freedom to influence the game in advanced areas, Mac Allister spent much of the evening helping Argentina contain Spain’s midfield and protect the left side.
That tactical responsibility limited his attacking involvement and became one of the main themes in the Argentine media’s assessment of his performance.
How did Mac Allister fare?
TyC Sports awarded Mac Allister a 5/10 rating, placing him one point above midfield teammates Enzo Fernandez and Rodrigo de Paul. His score was level with Lionel Messi and Julian Alvarez, reflecting how difficult the evening proved for several of Argentina’s most important attacking players.
The outlet noted that Mac Allister spent much of the game positioned toward the left side while also helping monitor Rodri. That defensive assignment prevented him from breaking forward as frequently as Argentina might have wanted.
According to the assessment, the tactical approach effectively removed one of Argentina’s potentially most dangerous attacking midfielders from the areas where he normally creates his best football.
That is perhaps the biggest disappointment surrounding his performance.
Mac Allister has shown repeatedly for Liverpool and Argentina that he can influence matches when given opportunities to progress the ball, combine around the penalty area and arrive late into attacking positions.
In the final, those moments were rare.
Instead, he was asked to track runners, protect space and disrupt Spain’s midfield rhythm.
That work was necessary, but Argentina paid a price offensively.
The team struggled to sustain possession in dangerous areas, and Mac Allister was unable to provide the kind of creativity that has become an important part of his game.
TyC Sports also criticized his inability to effectively challenge Spain’s midfielders despite spending so much time in defensive positions.
That left Mac Allister in an uncomfortable middle ground.
He sacrificed attacking influence to help defensively, but still did not dominate those defensive matchups enough to change the course of the contest.
Other Argentina players received even harsher criticism.
Substitute Nahuel Molina was given a 3/10 rating, while Giuliano Simeone received a four. That meant Mac Allister was far from Argentina’s worst performer, even if his display did not meet the standards expected from one of Liverpool’s most important midfielders.
ESPN offered a more critical evaluation.
The outlet highlighted two incidents in which Mac Allister could potentially have been booked during the first half. One involved a late challenge on Dani Olmo, while another came after he handled the ball.
ESPN suggested he was fortunate to avoid disciplinary punishment and summarized his overall performance by saying that he looked uncomfortable throughout the evening.
Mac Allister never appeared completely settled in the role Argentina asked him to perform.
He worked hard and contributed defensively, but he rarely seemed capable of imposing himself on the match.
Goal offered a similarly brief assessment, noting that he committed several fouls and made some useful defensive contributions but failed to take control of the game.
For a player of Mac Allister’s technical quality, that lack of influence will undoubtedly be frustrating.
The midfielder entered the World Cup as one of Argentina’s key players and arrived at the final after a demanding tournament. By the time the match reached extra time, fatigue may also have played a role in limiting his ability to push forward.
Argentina’s game plan naturally focused heavily on containing Spain, particularly through central midfield.
That meant Mac Allister’s responsibilities were different from the more creative role Liverpool supporters are accustomed to seeing.
Still, the final showed how much more effective he can be when allowed to operate with greater freedom.
At Liverpool, Mac Allister has often been at his best when he can receive the ball facing forward and dictate the tempo rather than simply reacting to opposition movement.
That will now become an important consideration for Andoni Iraola.
The new Liverpool head coach inherits a midfielder who has experienced both the physical demands of a long club season and the emotional disappointment of losing a World Cup final.
Mac Allister will first need time away from football.
After an exhausting campaign followed by an intense international tournament, Liverpool are unlikely to rush him immediately back into full training. A proper holiday and recovery period should be essential before he begins preparations for the new season.
Once he returns, however, there is an opportunity for a reset.
Iraola’s arrival means several Liverpool players will be adapting to new tactical ideas, and Mac Allister should be central to that transition.
His intelligence, passing range and ability to operate in multiple midfield roles make him one of the squad’s most valuable pieces.
The challenge will be ensuring that those qualities are used correctly.
The World Cup final demonstrated that Mac Allister can perform disciplined defensive work when required, but it also showed the limitations of asking him to spend an entire game focused primarily on containment.
Liverpool will want far more from him offensively.
If Iraola can build a midfield structure that gives Mac Allister greater freedom to influence possession and connect attacks, the Argentine could quickly rediscover his best form.
The disappointment of losing the World Cup final will take time to process.
But when Mac Allister eventually returns to Merseyside, he will have another opportunity to begin again.
For Liverpool, that could be extremely important.
One difficult final does not erase his quality.
And under a new manager, with a refreshed tactical role and proper recovery, Mac Allister will have the chance to prove that his uncomfortable night against Spain was simply the end of one exhausting chapter rather than the beginning of a decline.
