Leandro Paredes has immortalised one of the defining moments of his international career. The Argentina star turned his decisive tackle on Omar Marmoush against Egypt at the 2026 World Cup into a work of art, one he now keeps in his home as a nod to just how much that intervention meant to the Albiceleste's run through the tournament.
The painting surfaced in images posted on social media by Paredes's wife, Camila Galante, during his homecoming after Argentina's World Cup campaign. He was pictured standing beside the artwork depicting his famous challenge on Marmoush.
Argentina finished as runners-up, beaten 1-0 by Spain in the final. Yet their path there almost ended at the round of 16 against Egypt.
Deep in added time, with the sides locked at 2-2, Marmoush broke forward on a rapid counter and looked to slide a through ball to Mahmoud Hassan "Trezeguet", who was about to bear down one-on-one on goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
Paredes read it at the last instant. He stretched out a leg to intercept the ball, and the intervention flipped the move into an Argentine counter that ended with Enzo Fernandez firing home the winner, sending the defending champions through to the quarter-finals.
What did "The Athletic" say about the moment?
"The Athletic" hailed the tackle as one of the most iconic defensive scenes of the World Cup, insisting its importance rivalled that of the goals the match produced, even though it amounted to a single defensive intervention.
According to the newspaper, Paredes found himself as the last Argentine standing against three Egyptian attackers on a lightning counter, his team-mates having piled forward chasing the winner after the equaliser.
ESPN
The midfielder read the movements of Marmoush and Trezeguet early, dropping back in measured steps while tracking the attackers, then anticipated Marmoush's pass, shifted his direction at exactly the right moment and stretched out a leg to intercept the ball in a manner the paper called "genius".
That moment changed the course of the match entirely, the newspaper affirmed. It denied Egypt a one-on-one with the goal on an attack that might have won them the tie, and what followed instead was the move that ended with Enzo Fernandez's goal. The Athletic reckoned Paredes's tackle was the real difference between Argentina crashing out and staying alive on their march to the final.
Paredes refuses to apologise
Paredes made headlines again after the final. He refused to apologise for the clashes that followed the defeat to Spain, using his first Instagram post to declare his pride in everything the national team produced during the tournament.
Reports claimed he had picked up a red card over the post-match events. FIFA removed the card from his official record, but at the same time confirmed they had opened an investigation into the incidents at the end of the final.