Argentina's national team has recently seen several champions opt out of the top five leagues to play in less competitive leagues, such as Messi, Di Maria, and Acuna, who are no longer playing in the top leagues. Now another Argentine champion player has made this choice, and considering his age, he is still in his prime, which surprises fans. Official announcement! The 28-year-old Argentine international leaves the top five leagues to help Messi win three consecutive titles, risking missing out on the USA-Mexico-Canada tournament.
On January 21st, River Plate officially confirmed that Montiel, who played for Sevilla in La Liga, has joined the team. Montiel came through the River Plate youth system and won the Copa Libertadores and Argentine league titles with River Plate. He left River Plate in 2021 to play for Sevilla, where he won a Europa League title. Last season, he was loaned to Nottingham Forest by Sevilla and returned to Sevilla this season.
Montiel had limited opportunities in European leagues, which may have been a key factor in his decision to return to his parent club River Plate. Last season, Montiel played only once for Sevilla and appeared 19 times for Nottingham Forest. This season, more than half has passed, and Montiel has only played 9 games for Sevilla. In the past one and a half seasons, Montiel has only started 16 times.
In River Plate's current squad, there are also Montiel's Argentine national teammates Armani, Acuna, Pezzella, and Lucas Martinez, which will help Montiel quickly adapt to the team. Montiel is not old, but he is no longer playing in the top five leagues, which may be closely related to his glorious achievements. During his time with the Argentine national team, Montiel won a World Cup and two Copa Americas, as well as a European title. Perhaps he has few pursuits left in terms of honors, and it is understandable that he would return to his roots early.
Montiel is a meritorious right-back for the Argentine national team, having played 36 times and scored 1 goal during his international career. His most glorious moment with the Argentine national team was in the penalty shootout of the 2022 World Cup final, where he scored the decisive penalty under pressure as the fourth player to step up, helping Argentina defeat France to lift the World Cup trophy. Some players, after their careers are filled with honors, tend to relax themselves. Montiel's limited playing time in Europe may also be related to his own complacency.
As Montiel returns to play in Argentina, his international career may gradually come to an end. Although the Argentine national team has a tradition of calling up domestic league players, it is unlikely that they will bring multiple Argentine league players. Acuna and others are Montiel's competitors and are in better form than Montiel. It seems that Montiel will miss the 2026 World Cup.