Argentina’s Ambassador to India Mariano Cocchino expressed his sincere gratitude to Indian fans for their unwavering support during the 2026 FIFA World Cup after Argentina lost the final to Spain. In an interview with “X” after the game, Caucino admitted that the Albiceleste team had received great support from supporters across India, including Lionel Messi The national team continues to have one of the largest fan bases in the world outside of South America.
Argentina envoy thanks Indian fans
“Deeply grateful to the Indian people for their endless support to the Argentina team during this World Cup. Thank you again India!” Cousino wrote. Argentina participated in this tournament as the defending world champions and achieved their second consecutive championship. fifa world cup In the final, I hope to become the first country in 64 years to successfully defend the championship. However, that dream ended at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where Spain won 1-0 in overtime to lift their second World Cup trophy and first since 2010. Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal in the 106th minute, assisted by Nico Williams, to seal the title for Spain in a tight contest. Luis de la Fuente’s side dominated possession for much of the game and created the better chances, but Argentina remained in contention, largely thanks to goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who made a string of important saves. The defending champions suffered another setback in second-half stoppage time when Enzo Fernandez received a second yellow card for a late foul on Paulo Kubalsi, reducing Argentina to 10 men heading into extra-time. Spain briefly thought they had taken the lead through Nico Williams in extra time, but it was canceled out due to a foul in the build-up. Moments later, Williams headed the ball to Torres, who scored the winning goal. The victory also extended Spain’s unbeaten run in international competition to a European record 38 games, while ending Argentina’s efforts to become the first team to successfully defend the World Cup since 1962. Although Argentina lost the final, their journey once again attracted supporters around the world, especially in India, where the team’s popularity has grown significantly since Messi led the country to the 2022 World Cup title. Cousino’s message recognized the enduring bond, thanking the Indian fans for their support of Argentina throughout the tournament, despite the disappointment of seeing the defending champions finish second.
