Although he retired last year and was not on Argentina’s final roster of 26, former striker Sergio Aguero was awarded a World Cup winner’s medal after La Albiceleste’s victory over France on penalties in the grand final. Here, find out why.
Despite a tense 3-3 deadlock in regulation time, Lionel Messi’s Argentina side won the World Cup final against France on penalties to secure the trophy that will define the superstar’s career. With this victory, La Albiceleste won the World Cup for the third time in their history and for the first time since 1986.
In floods of relief and uncontrollable joy, the 35-year-old PSG ace was mobbed by his teammates after the final whistle to celebrate the team’s first World Cup win. Later on Tuesday, Argentinians went berserk after the team returned to the country to celebrate the victory in Qatar.
A public holiday was declared and millions of soccer fans flocked to the streets of the South American capital to see the team’s 50-mile victory parade. Messi and the other players boarded an open-air bus that made its way past crowds of cheering spectators.
How did Sergio Aguero receive a World Cup winner’s medal?
After the final whistle last Sunday, it came as no surprise to any of us to see Sergio Aguero partying it up with the rest of the Argentina squad following their World Cup victory against France. It would have been only natural to ask the former striker, who was forced to retire at the start of last season due to a heart problem, to participate in the festivities.
The 34-year-old was dressed in full uniform as he celebrated with his former squad. But what really made many scratches their heads was that the former Barcelona, Manchester City, and Atletico star really got a medal, prompting many to speculate that maybe someone had chosen to give it to the former striker as a present.
However, Aguero’s medal was verified as genuine. Also, Argentina uncovered a legal crack that allowed him to snag it. It turns out that La Albiceleste secretly enrolled him as an assistant coach for the tournament, guaranteeing him a spot on the victors’ podium in Qatar, Daily Star claim. The report goes on to add that the squad was happy with the choice to bring him to this edition of the World Cup because of his good relationship with captain Lionel Messi and his overall popularity on the team.
