Tagliafico, the former Real Murcia player, is going to ‘face’ Yamal in the World Cup final
Nicolás Tagliafico started from being a promising young player who excited Real Murcia in 2012 and becoming a world champion with Argentina in Qatar last World Cup. Fourteen years after his time at the Nueva Condomina stadium, the former Real Murcia player who seeks to lift his second World Cup trophy this Sunday, agent Spain and facing Lamine Yamal.
Nicolás Tagliafico became the most celebrated signing for Real Murcia fans in the summer of 2012. Murcia fans had to wait until September 4th to see him with they club jersey after a drawn-out saga that dragged on for almost the entire month of August. Although Murcia fans knew little thing about the then-Banfield player, and most fans had probably never even seen him play beyond a few YouTube videos, the arrival of the full-back player, who was barely 19 years old, filled Real Murcia fans with excitement as they dreamed of returning to the First Division they League.
“I was surprised with the love of the Murcia fans, their support. They even sent me photos of typical Murcian food to convince me to join them. I couldn’t believe it,” Tagliafico remarked on the day of his presentation at Nueva Condomina. And that player, whom Real Murcia fans encouraged to come to Murcia, that “gem,” as he was described by some members of Jesús Samper’s board of directors, he may lift his second World Championship with Argentina this Sunday. Although to do so, the Albiceleste will have to overcome a resurgent Spain, which is Nicolás Tagliafico will have to stop Lamine Yamal to preform on sunday final match, who only has one more chance to shine in this tournament, which will reach its grand finale at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, in the New York metropolitan area.
Tagliafico who was an uncontested starting player for Argentina team today bears little resemblance to the Tagliafico who embarked on his first adventure abroad in the 2012-13 season. The 19-year-old player who arrived in Murcia is a far cry from his current age of 33. But the player who will seek to lift his second World Cup title this Sunday, after the one won in Qatar 2022, his experience at the Nueva Condomina Stadium has played a big part in making him who he is today. Because that season, which began with fans full of hope, dreaming of another promotion to the First Division, ended with Real Murcia narrowly by avoiding relegation, thanks to Guadalajara’s administrative demotion.
Despite this, Tagliafico only needed twelve matchdays to become an uncontested starting player. Because once he broke into the starting eleven in November, he was practically a fixture in the lineup. He played 27 matches for the club, totaling 2,128 minutes. However, his time there ended on a bad record. And not only because the team failed to achieve its objectives, but also because Onésimo, the club’s coach during the final stretch of that season, singled him out in the post-match press conference and following the 40th matchday.
To explain the substitution of the Argentine full-back player in the 67th minute, Onésimo didn’t hesitate to state that “he came over to the sideline and told me to substitute him, that he was very nervous.” Despite the surprising statements from the Valladolid-born coach, Tagliafico is going play the full 90 minutes in the two remaining league matches, including the decisive one against Las Palmas, where the final victory allowed Real Murcia club to avoid relegation.
Debut with Argentina in 2017
On loan from Banfield, Tagliafico’s time at Real Murcia ended prematurely after the team conclusion of the 2012-2013 season. That summer of 2013, he returned to Argentina, where he stared his career first at Banfield and later at Independiente, before returning to Europe in 2017 to sign for Ajax club, who paid €4 million for the former Granada player. Just as he was making the leap to a top-tier European club, the full-back player received his first call-up to the Argentine national team. It was Jorge Sampaoli who gave him his debut in a match against Brazil in Melbourne, and in a year 2018 he was included in the nation squad for the World Cup in Russia, the Albiceleste defender’s first World Cup appearance.
Champion in Qatar
Who would have told that Tagliafico, who cry after Argentina’s elimination in the round of 16 at against France, He played in every match, and just eight years later he got the chance to win the World Cup for the second time. With Scaloni now at the helm, Argentina overcame a long period of struggle to rise again in Qatar world cup in 2022. The Argentina lifted the trophy after defeating France in the final. Tagliafico was also a key player in the 2024 Copa América competition, where he added another title to his football record with the national team. And this Sunday, he will be looking for his second world title, although to achieve it he will have to overcome Spain, and also to stop Lamine Yamal performance during the match.
