Romero the Argentina Anchor: A Different Beast to the Spurs Captain
Cristian Romero arrives at the 2026 World Cup final having shed the shackles of a wretched Tottenham campaign, and The Guardian has taken a closer look at the transformation.
The Argentine centre-back was at his controlled best in the semi-final against England. Pressed hard by Jude Bellingham and Anthony Gordon while deep in his own half, Romero settled a bouncing ball under pressure and found Nahuel Molina with a slick three-touch sequence — exactly the kind of moment that rarely came off for him in a Spurs shirt last season.
At club level, Romero captained a Tottenham side that endured a second consecutive relegation battle. He picked up yellow cards at an alarming rate, and his tendency to go in a little hard became a selection headache for whichever manager happened to be in the dugout that week. A season-ending injury in April left him in tears and raised genuine doubts over his World Cup fitness.
He also drew criticism for initially planning to skip Tottenham’s final match of the season to visit boyhood club Belgrano for their game against River Plate. He reversed course, returned to London and watched on as Spurs secured their Premier League status — before heading home to Argentina to complete his recovery.
For La Albiceleste, Romero is an entirely different proposition. Alongside Lisandro Martínez, he provides the defensive steel that allows Argentina to press high and stay compact. The more structured system around him limits his tendency to be drawn out of position — something Spurs’ opponents repeatedly exploited.
His most decisive contribution came against Egypt, when he sneaked between two defenders to meet a Messi cross and head home in the 79th minute, sparking a comeback win. It underlined his value not just as a defender but as an unlikely outlet when Argentina need a goal.
He has been arguably Argentina’s most consistent outfield player at the tournament, save for Messi himself. You can follow their progress through the World Cup 2026 hub and keep tabs on the live standings.
On Sunday, Romero faces arguably his sternest test: containing Mikel Oyarzabal and resisting the bait of Spain’s technically gifted dribblers. Few teams have truly tried to muscle Spain out of their stride since Cape Verde held them in the group stage. Whether Argentina can do so may well hinge on which version of Romero turns up — and on the evidence of this tournament, the smart money is on the Argentina one.