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Argentina’s Ambassador to India, Mariano Caucino, has expressed his sincere gratitude to Indian football fans for their unwavering support during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, following Argentina’s defeat to Spain in the final. Speaking about Xu after the tournament, Caucino acknowledged the huge support the Albiceleste have received from fans across India, where Lionel Messi and the national team continue to enjoy one of the world’s largest fan bases outside of South America.
The Argentine envoy thanks the Indian fans
“I am deeply grateful to the people of India for their endless show of support for the Argentina team during this last World Cup. Thank you, India, once again!” wrote Caucino. Argentina arrived at the tournament as the defending world champions and reached their second consecutive title FIFA World Cup finally, hoping to become the first nation in 64 years to successfully retain the title. However, that dream ended at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where Spain won 1-0 in extra time to lift their second World Cup trophy and first since 2010. Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal in the 106th minute after being set up by Nico Williams, sealing the title for Spain after a close contest. Luis de la Fuente’s side controlled possession for most of the game and created the better chances, but Argentina stayed in the contest largely thanks to goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who made a number of important saves. The defending champions suffered another setback deep into second-half stoppage time when Enzo Fernandez was shown a second yellow card for a late tackle on Pau Cubarsi, reducing Argentina to 10 men before extra time. Spain briefly believed they had gone ahead through Nic Williams early in extra time, only for the effort to be disallowed for a build-up offence. Moments later, Williams headed the ball into the path of Torres, who scored the winner. The triumph also extended Spain’s international unbeaten run to a European record 38 matches while ending Argentina’s bid to become the first team since 1962 to successfully defend the FIFA World Cup. Although Argentina fell in the final, their journey has once again captivated fans around the world, particularly in India, where the team’s popularity has grown significantly since Messi led the nation to glory at the 2022 World Cup. Caucino recognized that enduring bond in the message, thanking the Indian fans for standing by Argentina throughout the tournament despite the disappointment of the defending champions finishing as runners-up.
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