The Spanish actor addressed his previous comments regarding the national team of Argentina, which he believes received less international support in the final due to President Javier Milei‘s endorsement of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel amid the conflict in Gaza. This followed a backlash against Argentina, which included numerous celebrities such as Samuel L. Jackson, Pedro Pascal, Patti Smith, Rosalía, and Niall Horan, who later apologized for their remarks.
“When a president so openly supports a person who is a war criminal, like Netanyahu, you really want to support another team that does not support a war criminal,” said the star of “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” in a conversation with English journalist Mehdi Hasan after the conclusion of the World Cup. Bardem noted that having a president like Milei, who he believes supports genocide and is proud of it, along with politicians like Netanyahu and Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who represent Argentina, is unfair to the country. He added that this creates an additional burden on the match, which, in his view, does not belong in football but “is in the atmosphere.”
The actor further stated that he finds this situation unjust because many Argentinians disagree with their president, just as many Americans disagree with Donald Trump.
Explanation by Javier Bardem
The dissemination of his comments and criticism from the Argentine public prompted Bardem to clarify his statements and assert that he holds no animosity toward their people. “Because of what is happening, I want to share this video to clarify what I said in the interview and what I never said and would never say. I said that I consider it unfair to judge the Argentine team for the position of President Javier Milei, as he in no way represents the vast majority of Argentinians,” he noted in a post on his Instagram page.
Bardem also emphasized: “I also said that I consider it unfair that because of Milei’s position and the unconditional — and sometimes very proud — support of Netanyahu, whom I consider a war criminal, many people might support the opposing team, regardless of the undeniable quality of Argentine football.”
“I never said and would never say that Argentina is a xenophobic or racist country. This has never come out of my mouth and never will, because towards Argentina I feel only great affection, great respect, great gratitude, and great admiration in cultural, cinematographic, and acting, social, political, and personal aspects,” he added. As an example, the actor noted: “In the political aspect, Argentina is an inspiration for many people in my country thanks to the process of reparation that was carried out to establish justice for the victims of the dictatorship. A process of reparation that, for example, in my country, unfortunately, has not been carried out.”
In conclusion, Bardem explained that on a personal level, many important people in his circle are of Argentine origin. “They live there or also live in Spain, and they mean so much to me on all levels: creative, artistic, personal, intellectual, emotional. People whom I admire, respect, and love very much,” he assured. “It is important to me that all those things I never said and would never say are understood because of the respect and affection I have for the Argentine people.”
According to: La Nación
