The sting of a 1–0 loss to Spain in the World Cup final had barely dulled when Leandro Paredes stepped back onto the pitch for Boca Juniors and immediately conjured the winning pass against O’Higgins in the Copa Sudamericana. But his post‑match words in Buenos Aires laid bare a dressing room still reeling from the MetLife Stadium setback, with the 32‑year‑old midfielder admitting he does not know whether he can continue with Argentina. “No sé si estoy para seguir,” he said – I don’t know if I’m up for going on. The confession shifted the narrative from a routine continental cup victory to a reckoning with the end of a cycle.

Paredes suggested he is not alone in his misgivings. Speaking to Argentine broadcasters, he stressed that “many will face the decision of whether to continue” and that the group will need calm, deliberate conversations with the head coach, Lionel Scaloni. Across the Southern Cone, coverage zeroed in on what that means for 39‑year‑old Lionel Messi, whose boots carried the phrase “El Último Tango” during the final. Paredes claimed Messi had made a private decision before kick‑off that this would be his farewell, though he quickly added, “Ojalá que no – hopefully not.” Brazilian outlets amplified the remark as near‑confirmation that an era is closing.

The midfielder also confronted the swirl of conspiracy theories that erupted online after the defeat, dismissing them with visible weariness. “Si es por todo lo que escucho, me tengo que volver loco – if I paid attention to everything I hear, I’d go mad,” he told reporters. He acknowledged Spain were superior and deserved champions, framing the result as a sporting truth rather than a mystery. Paredes further revealed he played through a hairline rib fracture sustained after the group‑stage match against Egypt, managing the pain with anti‑inflammatories – a detail that underscored the physical toll of the campaign.

His swift return to club duties mirrored a broader reset: Boca’s victory under newly appointed coach Rodolfo Arruabarrena gave the side a foothold in the Sudamericana knockouts, with the return leg in Chile the next concrete test. For Argentina, however, the road ahead is clouded. With World Cup qualifying approaching and Scaloni yet to commit his own future, the post‑final introspection in Buenos Aires carries immediate sporting weight. As Paredes put it, “it’s a process to digest, to think about, and to talk about.”