“Mbappé was wrong”

“Argentina and Brazil don’t play high-level matches to get to the World Cup. Over there, football is not as advanced as in Europe. That’s why the Europeans always win.”

Mbappé comments challenged after Uruguay/Argentina glory

This reflection by Kylian Mbappé before Qatar 2022 still resonates in South America. After Uruguay’s victory over Italy in the final of the Under 20 World Cup and Argentina’s triumph in the senior category six months earlier, his statement once again became a topic of discussion.

Ignacio Alonso, president of the Uruguayan Football Association, responded in a brief conversation with AS: “Mbappé was wrong. We need to be more positive and recognize our strength as continents because soccer was born here,” he said in La Plata while heading towards the champion team’s bus.

“We have shown that we can be competitive and emerge as winners. We defeated a strong team, one that had defeated Brazil and received great acclaim. We have defeated teams from all continents. It is a historic achievement,” added Alonso.

Claudio Tapia, president of the Argentine Football Association, expressed his discontent with the PSG striker through social media: “Argentina is the world champion in the senior category. Uruguay is the under 20 champion. Brazil is the under 17 and Olympic champion. But how is that possible? Didn’t Mbappé claim that there is no quality in South America?”

Alonso also discussed the future goals of the Uruguayan team: “Our plan is clear: it involves identifying talented players and nurturing them through the club system.

“The national team is always scouting, and we have already started with the Under 15s to identify players who could represent us in the 2030 World Cup. It’s all interconnected. Uruguayan football must remain organised and steadfast in its foundations to stay competitive at the international level. Today, we have demonstrated that it can be achieved.”