ANALYSIS: Argentina have been outplayed, outnumbered, and outclassed

Published
0

Four minutes left. Argentina have been outplayed, outnumbered, and outclassed. They have spent the whole match chasing shadows.

This is the kind of match Argentina have made their own this tournament. They trailed against Egypt. They were stretched against Switzerland. They were outplayed for long stretches in every knockout game. And they kept finding a way. Not through control. Not through dominance. Through something else entirely.

Can they do it again? They have done it before. But this time, they need to do it with 10 men. They need to do it with no possession. They need to do it in the final minutes of a World Cup final.

The clock is ticking. Spain is still in control. Argentina are still waiting for their moment. If it comes, it will be their greatest escape yet. If it doesn’t, they have nothing left to give.

Argentina’s Lionel Messi reacts during the final match. — Reuters
Argentina’s Lionel Messi reacts during the final match. — Reuters

Opinion

Editorial

Fixing bond markets
Updated 01 Oct, 2026

Fixing bond markets

Pension funds, insurance companies, mutual funds, retail investors, and eventually, foreign investors must become bigger participants in the market.
Call centre rackets
01 Oct, 2026

Call centre rackets

A NUMBER of recent raids conducted by the authorities in different cities point to the growing threat fraudulent ...
Homeward bound
01 Oct, 2026

Homeward bound

FIVE months after Somali pirates captured an oil tanker carrying a 19-member multinational crew, Somali maritime...
Kashmir unresolved
Updated 30 Sep, 2026

Kashmir unresolved

The just solution lies in India addressing the issue through a trilateral dialogue involving the legitimate representatives of the Kashmiri people and Pakistan.
Water shortage
30 Sep, 2026

Water shortage

THAT the country is entering the Rabi season with an anticipated water shortage of nearly 25pc, the lowest carryover...
Young hearts
30 Sep, 2026

Young hearts

THE observance may have passed, but the message of World Heart Day should not fade with it. The occasion is a useful...