Nicolás Otamendi puts an end to his time with the Argentine national team. The center back, 38 years old, announced his international retirement after the defeat in the 2026 World Cup final, a decision that he made public through his social networks with an emotional farewell message.
“When I was very young I dreamed of wearing the Argentine National Team shirt. It was the greatest privilege that football gave me“wrote Otamendi, one of the leaders of the national team during the last decade and a key player in the most successful stage of its recent history. In that period he raised the Copa América in 2021 and 2024, the Finalissima in 2022 and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The now footballer of River Plate He acknowledged that he never imagined saying goodbye to the national team in such an important event. “Destiny wanted my last game to be a world final. It was not the result we wanted, but I leave with my head held high that this group tried until the last second,” he said.
He also wanted to highlight the commitment he maintained every time he was called up with Argentina. “I say goodbye with the peace of mind of having left everything. I never saved a drop of effort, I never stopped believing and I never stopped feeling this shirt as the greatest honor of my life“he noted.
Otamendi, who He played in four World Cups – South Africa 2010, Russia 2018, Qatar 2022 and the United States, Mexico and Canada 2026 – and had a special memory for the Argentine fans, whom he considered constant support throughout his international career. “Thank you to the Argentine fan. Thank you for the unconditional love, for each flag, for each song, for accompanying us in the good times and, above all, in the most difficult. You made every time the anthem played we felt that we were not eleven players, but millions defending the same dream,” he expressed.
The defender did not forget his family, to which he attributed a decisive role in his sporting career. “They were my refuge in every fall and my strength in every challenge. I never walked this path alone; we took every step together“, wrote.
In the final part of his message he sent some words addressed to those who will take over in the Argentine team. “Never stop believing. There will be blows that seem impossible to overcome, but this shirt always rewards those who defend it with humility, sacrifice and love. Raise your heads, keep fighting and don’t let a defeat steal your hope. “I am convinced that the next chapter of our story will be yours.”