Papu Gomez unveils the secret he kept from Messi and Argentina during the Qatar 2022 World Cup

Alejandro ‘Papu’ Gomez, a key member of Argentina at Qatar 2022, recently sat down as a special guest on the Argentine talk show “Clank!.” In the interview, the 36-year-old opened up about life after the World Cup, sharing personal insights, revealing some behind-the-scenes stories, and discussing his transition into retirement. In fact, he admitted to hiding a secret from Lionel Messi and the rest of the squad.

Gomez confessed having received an e-mail just two days before the World Cup final, with a letter informing him that he had tested positive for doping. However, he decided not to tell anyone on the team, including Messi.

“I received an e-mail two days before the final (against France) that I had tested positive. In the final of the World Cup to receive news like that is horrible, I was sick those two days, I was very ill, I had a fever, surely my defenses were down, I was backwards. Imagine celebrating but always thinking about what was going to happen,” Gomez said. “I didn’t want to tell anyone because I didn’t want people to think anything else but playing the World Cup Final.”

The former Sevilla FC player was handed a two-year ban for doping after a positive test in November 2022. The substance “terbutaline” was detected in his sample, although the player’s last club, Serie A side Monza, explained that it had been ingested in the form of a cough syrup to treat bronchospasms. Despite this explanation, his sanction was upheld.

Alejandro Papu Gomez warms up before a game between AC Monza and US Salernitana in 2023.

“They suspend you from all the sports activities that include the sports package, sports director, coach, all of that. So I had thought (about starting the DT course), to make the most of my time, but I was denied that I couldn’t because of the suspension. That got me down a bit, but it’s part of what I’m going through,” Gomez explained.

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Despite his prominent status as a media figure, Papu Gomez revealed that he has sought psychological therapy to help him cope with his new reality and stay focused on a potential return to professional soccer.

“Nowadays, to go from being a world champion to today when nobody calls you or you disappear from the media or you don’t play anymore, you have to learn to live with that,” Gomez shared. “Maybe it’s a question of destiny. I often thought, ‘If I become world champion I will never play again’. It’s stupid, but sometimes you call things and maybe life gives them back to you in its own way and maybe life gave them back to me in this way.”

The midfielder also made it clear that he continues to train in hopes of returning to the pitch next year. “I wouldn’t want to retire this way. I’d like to retire on the field,” he confessed. While rumors swirl about a potential return to Argentina, Gomez is determined to continue playing in Italy, where he has settled with his family.