Otamendi: The 26th World Cup will be the last event I will participate in with the national team

Hupu September 11th For Nicholas Otamendi, the farewell to the South American qualifiers is not the best. The experienced defender announced after a 3-0 victory over Venezuela that the game was his last match in Argentina with Messi before being sent off early in a 0-1 loss to Ecuador, and according to Scaloni, he could miss the first World Cup 2026 game. And it was at that World Cup that he would end his national team career.

"The World Cup will be the last event I will play with the national team, and that's it. Every time I have the chance to wear the national team jersey, I always try to give everything," the centre-back said. Since completing his debut under Maradona in May 2009, he has made 128 appearances for the national team.

In a conversation with Telefe, Ota reviewed his career: "First, I took a lot of effort to play in the top league and then entered the national team. My family taught me that everything needs to be paid. In life, you have to be a fighter and try your best. If things don't work out, try again the next day, and life is like this."

The 37-year-old Otamendi knows that he is in the final stage of his football career, and at the club level he has no conclusion on the future. Every six months, there are rumors that he will hang his boots and wear the red ribbon of his beloved river bed (a symbol of retirement). Regarding his situation in Benfica, he explained that he would stay for a while and then leave room for room: "My contract is still one year left, and after the World Cup I will see how to do it. My whole family is a fan of Riverbed."