The Argentina player cried for three days because he missed the World Cup
Lo Celso had to undergo surgery on a hamstring injury about 10 days before the World Cup kicked off in Qatar. Therefore, the 26-year-old midfielder missed the opportunity to win Argentina's first world championship in 36 years.
"When I found out I missed the World Cup, I cried for three days in the bathroom," Lo Celso shared on March 29. "If possible, I would be ready to go to the World Cup with one leg. But I had to have surgery and it took many months to recover."
Lo Celso returned to Argentina to play two friendly matches at the end of March. In the 7-0 win over Curacao on the morning of March 29, the Villarreal midfielder provided two assists for Lionel Messi. He is regaining his peak form as when he created the most assists and sent the most for Messi in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.
"For me, to wear this best shirt again is a very exciting moment," Lo Celso said. "When I had no choice but to have surgery, I had to turn the page. Today, I am grateful to life for giving me the opportunity to return. Thank you to the coaching staff and teammates."
Lo Celso has played for Argentina since 2017. In the final of the Copa America 2021 beat Brazil 1-0, the 26-year-old midfielder started in the middle next to Rodrigo De Paul and Leandro Paredes. In the 2022 Intercontinental Super Cup match against Italy 3-0, he started next to De Paul and Guido Rodriguez.
After Lo Celso missed the World Cup, coach Lionel Scaloni still managed to find an alternative. 23-year-old midfielder Alexis Mac Allister and 21-year-old midfielder Enzo Fernandez are both World Cup finds.
Argentina started the World Cup with a 1-2 loss to Saudi Arabia. But they still won the top spot of Group C with two wins against Mexico 2-0 and Poland 2-0. Enzo Fernandez and Mac Allister scored in these matches, respectively.
Then, Argentina beat Australia 2-1 in the round of 16, won the Netherlands 4-3 in the penalty shootout in the quarter-finals (drawn 2-2 in 120 minutes), and won 3-0 over Croatia in the semi-finals. In the final, they beat France 4-2 on penalties after drawing 3-3 in 120 minutes.
Argentina won the World Cup for the first time in 1978 at home. By 1986, the Maradona generation won the Gold Cup in Mexico. Argentina is currently the fourth most successful team with three world championships, behind Brazil with five, Italy and Germany with four. France and Uruguay are both fifth with two titles, while Spain and England have one.
From next September, Argentina will play a qualifying round for the 2026 World Cup in South America. As planned, the 2026 World Cup final round will take place from June 11 to July 19 in the US, Canada and Mexico. The tournament consists of 48 teams, an increase of 16 teams compared to the 2022 World Cup.
Lo Celso has played for Rosario Central, PSG, Betis and Tottenham. From January 2022, the 26-year-old midfielder plays for Villarreal under a loan contract from Tottenham.
