Cristian Romero lashes out at Gary Neville after Argentina knock England out of World Cup

Cristian Romero has bitten back at Gary Neville for comments he made about Argentina before their World Cup semi-final victory over England.

La Albiceleste booked their place in a second successive World Cup final after serving up another dramatic late comeback.

Anthony Gordon initially gave England the lead after turning home Morgan Rogers' inch-perfect cross. But the rest of the action following that 55th-minute goal was dominated by Argentina, as they punished Thomas Tuchel for retreating into a five-man defence.

Enzo Fernandez's curled strike five minutes from time got them on level terms before Lautaro Martinez completed their comeback in the 92nd minute to set up a final against Spain.

Lionel Scaloni's men showcased unbreakable spirit and composure to come from behind once more at this tournament, and this was embodied by defenders Lisandro Martinez and Cristian Romero.

The two fiery centre-backs brought the fight to England and were solid at the back, as Gary Neville was made to eat his words after calling them the "best, worst centre-half pairing".

"I call them the best, worst centre-half pairing in the world. Because at times they can be unbelievable, but the next, it’s the sublime to the ridiculous," Neville said on The Overlap earlier this week.

The former Manchester United defender also praised their elite mentality, but Romero wasn't interested in addressing the positive comments, as he hit back at Neville for the criticism and explained how it fired him up.

"Lisandro and me, we were on fire before the game because of what Gary Neville said," he commented.

“In England they love to speak before. We send him a big hug… I hope I’ll not be like him when I retire, I will NOT criticise players.

“The only thing that I hope for is that when I retire, I am not that stupid. Hopefully I won’t criticise a player or anyone.

“Because at the end of the day, we are doing our best for our national team."

Romero promised not to follow in Neville's footsteps by criticising players post-retirement, and right now, he is focused on helping Scaloni's side overcome Spain in Sunday's final.

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Argentina could face FIFA punishment after reaching World Cup final

While Romero is no stranger to punishment, having received six red cards during his Tottenham career so far, Argentina could also face a punishment from FIFA for their celebrations at full-time.

A banner with the words, “Las Malvinas Son Argentinas”, which translates to "The Falkland Islands are Argentine", was carried by the players on the pitch as they celebrated in front of the England players.

Lisandro Martinez, Cristian Romero and Giovani Lo Celso were among those to hold the banner referencing the 1982 conflict, where there were a total of 907 deaths - 649 Argentine soldiers, 255 British combatants and three civilians.

FIFA strictly prohibits political messages, and they deemed the banner to breach their disciplinary code, issuing a fine of around £20,000 as well as an official reprimand for the Argentina Football Association.

Argentina's mouth-watering showdown against Spain at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, kicks off at 8pm BST (3pm local time).