Four days. That was how long it took Leandro Paredes to go from the disappointment of losing a World Cup final to wearing the Boca Juniors shirt again at La Bombonera. And it was no mere formality: his assist ended up at Miguel Merentiel’s feet, who scored the only goal in the win over Chile’s O’Higgins in the Copa Sudamericana.
But what resonated most did not happen on the pitch. In New Jersey, after the defeat to Spain, the Argentine squad’s silence had left room for conspiracy theories about what happened on the field to grow. Paredes decided to put an end to it once and for all.
“If I go by what I hear, I’d have to go crazy”, he said bluntly. And he went further: he acknowledged that Spain were simply better that night, and that the national team can only look back and enjoy eight unforgettable years.
“Conspiracy theories? We don’t pay attention to them. We are aware that we had a great World Cup and that Spain were superior in the final”.
— Sudanalytics (@sudanalytics_) July 24, 2026
Leandro Paredes. ‼️🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/3pPEuqxObo https://t.co/vRDMQOWuGR