Garnacho has divided Argentina... but maybe not for much longer (2024)

In 2023, Alejandro Garnacho was behaving like most teenagers on social media. He responded to posts with laughing emojis. He trolled unashamedly and flaunted his wardrobe and fashion style.

Garnacho, however, is not your average 19-year-old. The Manchester United forward is one of world football’s brightest young prospects. Anything he does on social media will be magnified and over-analyzed.

After United’s 2-0 win over Everton on March 9, Garnacho, buzzing after starting and playing well on right wing, was still dressed in his kit when he opened his TikTok account and reacted to a blind ranking of football’s top 10 all-time players. Kids being kids, right?

When Real Madrid defeated rivals Barcelona 4-0 in the second leg of the 2023 Copa del Rey, Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior posted, “Comeback & Final = REAL MADRID.” Garnacho reacted with a double crying-laughing emoji. He later deleted the response, but if you know anything about Garnacho, you’re familiar with his infatuation with Real Madrid.

That fandom helps explain why, when United eliminated Barcelona in the Europa League in the same season, Garnacho appeared to mock midfielder Pedri’s eye-glasses celebration. He also posted, “The big club advanced.” A classic troll job from an anti-Barca poster, and the likes and reshares duly poured in.

Garnacho was simply acting his age, but not everyone was amused. Back home in Argentina, his actions were deemed childish by the country’s football purists.

Nestor Gorosito, 60, is an outspoken coach who once managed River Plate, but most recently took charge of Colon de Sante Fe and Tigre. Gorosito was a silky attacking midfielder. He still appreciates today’s flair players, but only if they act like professionals. In March 2023, during the height of Garnacho’s initial rise in European football, Gorosito was asked how he would handle a provocative social media post from Garnacho.

“If he were one of my sons, I’d hit him on the back of the neck with an open palm,” Gorosito said without pause. “We have to understand that this generation is different from ours and that kids today gain 70million followers for saying ridiculous things on the internet. They don’t pay for anything, they drive German cars. All for saying dumb things online. It’s ridiculous.”

He was young, but because Garnacho was born in Madrid to an Argentine mother, he became a lightning rod for criticism from sections of Argentina’s fanbase. Garnacho spent his youth football days at Atletico Madrid and Getafe. He also made a few appearances for Spain Under-18s in 2021.

He dreamed of playing for Argentina, but dual nationals, especially those who are developed outside of South America, have a stigma that they must first overcome in the court of public opinion.

While he was solidifying his place in Europe as a young star in the making, at home, opinions about his potential were mixed. They remain so today. In May, Argentine outlet TyC Sports sent a reporter to the streets of Buenos Aires to ask passers-by if Garnacho should be on Argentina’s Copa America squad.

The reaction was mixed. One older, more grizzled fan called Garnacho “a trend”,with a hint of resentment, but younger ones were more positive. One pointed out that “after Angel Di Maria, Garnacho is the most elusive player we have”, while another said he had been the “only bright spot for Manchester United” in their “disaster” of a season.

Football is a tribal sport, and in the land of Lionel Messi, Garnacho’s devout admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo has been difficult for some Argentinians to accept. Garnacho arrived at Old Trafford in 2020 and was immediately compared to Ronaldo, and for good reason.

On the one hand, there was his football — the relentless running on the wing and one-versus-one abilities. On the other, his taste for the spotlight and picture-perfect intimation of Ronaldo’s trademark ‘Siuuuu’ celebration invited obvious parallels.

Ronaldo scored more than 100 goals for United. He added 450 goals in 438 appearances for Real Madrid, earning the nickname ‘El Bicho’ — The Bug — for his figurative ability to strike fear in defenders. Garnacho’s nickname? ‘El Bichito’ —The Little Bug. Last year, Garnacho’s idolization of Ronaldo led to a social media conspiracy involving Messi.

The truth is, Garnacho is becoming a regular senior national team colleague of Messi. Just as he is viewed as a beacon for Manchester United’s youth movement, Garnacho carries the weight of being part of world champion Argentina’s promising future. That hasn’t changed his brand, though. One can admire Garnacho’s insistence on ignoring the noise and focusing on what makes him tick.

Former Argentina national team captain Javier Zanetti, now the vice president of Inter Milan and a television analyst for Univision in the United States, believes that the Copa America will be Garnacho’s first true test on a big stage.

“I think (manager) Lionel Scaloni will give him the minutes he needs,” Zanetti told The Athletic this month. “Garnacho is a part of a young group of players that can contribute now to the national team. Perhaps he won’t be a starter, but even at 19, Garnacho still has to maximize his opportunities. He has to know that moving forward, these types of experiences are going to help him grow. Being an Argentina national team player is an important distinction.”

At United, Garnacho has gradually matured into a reliable professional. He’s a young father, and putting his social media presence aside, his reputation at Old Trafford is one of a hardworking footballer who shakes off physical challenges and consistently plays forward.

The instability at the club and relative decline in standards in the squad have benefited him. Garnacho played more than 3,000 minutes of football during the 2023-24 season. At a tumultuous time, Garnacho earned the trust of manager Erik ten Hag.

Can he deliver more consistent performances? Of course. But Garnacho is already a big-game performer. His spectacular bicycle kick in November against Everton at Goodison Park was a sample of Garnacho’s talent and potential for celebrity appeal, but his opportunistic goal against Manchester City in the FA Cup final in May, and overall performance, was a better indication of his character, and refusal to be unnerved by the bright occasion.

That type of personality has endeared him to the Argentine people. Maybe some of the older generation will take some persuading, but there seems to be no stopping Garnacho.

“He is a kid that not only needs to evolve progressively but he also has to be ready to enter a game when we feel it’s right for him to do so,” said Scaloni before a 4-1 friendly win against Guatemala on June 14.

“But it’s true that we have high expectations for him,” Scaloni continued, a smile on his face. “We must bring him along the way we see fit, with the entire staff communicating with him and insisting to him that there are things that he has to do more consistently. He’s fast and he’s good in one-versus-one moments. He has to do both more often. That’s what we’ve asked him to do.”

Gorosito, meanwhile, just wants Garnacho to focus on learning from his misjudgments.

“He’s going to make mistakes because he’s 19,” Gorosito said. “That’s supposed to happen. It’s part of life.”

Can’t argue with that. But if this becomes the summer of Alejandro Garnacho, the purists may have to sing a different tune.

(Top photo: Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)

Felipe Cardenas is a staff writer for The Athletic who covers MLS and international soccer. Follow Felipe on Twitter @FelipeCar