World Cup winner with Messi’s Argentina makes raw admission after doping ban: ‘Soccer had died for me’

A teammate of Lionel Messi from Argentina’s 2022 FIFA World Cup-winning squad has opened up about the doping suspension that derailed his career.

Lionel Messi reached the pinnacle of world soccer on December 18, 2022, when he led Argentina to victory over France in the FIFA World Cup Final. Alongside him, 25 other players etched their names into the sport’s most glorious chapter. But not long after that triumph, one of those stars was handed a significant suspension for testing positive for a banned substance.

Alejandro ‘Papu’ Gomez was a starter in Argentina’s matches against Saudi Arabia and Australia during the 2022 World Cup. At the time, he was playing for Sevilla in La Liga, where he remained until the summer of 2023. His move to Monza sparked high hopes for the Italian side, which had just signed a 35-year-old World Cup champion who still had plenty to offer.

However, Gomez’s stint at Monza was short-lived. He played only two Serie A matches before it was revealed he had tested positive in an October 2022 anti-doping control for Terbutaline, a substance banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency. The Argentine midfielder explained that he had taken a cough syrup intended for his children—but the explanation didn’t prevent a two-year suspension.

Now preparing for his return to the pitch with Padova in Italy’s Serie B, Papu opened up about that difficult chapter in an interview on the De Visitante podcast. “The first few months were tough. It was hard for me to watch soccer at first—I’d turn off the TV. Soccer had died for me,” said Alejandro.

“I isolated myself and started working with a psychologist because I was stuck in a loop I couldn’t get out of,” added the 37-year-old midfielder, who last played an official match on October 8, 2023, in Monza’s 3–0 win over Salernitana. “Why should I be forced to retire from soccer when I don’t want to and it’s not my time? Why should two or three people in suits, who’ve never played sports, decide when I’m done?”

Gomez questions anti-doping standards

In the same interview, Alejandro Gomez shared his views on how anti-doping is regulated in professional soccer. In particular, he criticized what he sees as inconsistencies in how cases are judged and punished.

“You take cocaine or smoke marijuana and they give you a six-month ban,” said Papu. “I had to serve two years for drinking my son’s cough syrup. Who can make sense of that?”

Gomez reflects on soccer and life after the ban

With the benefit of time and perspective, Alejandro Gomez reflected on both his professional journey and what still lies ahead. “I don’t want to live off memories. I can’t come home and watch a goal I scored five years ago. What’s the point? The most important thing is the present,” he said.

Papu also admitted he was disappointed by the way people close to him behaved after his suspension. “When things are going well, everyone’s around. When they’re not, no one is,” said the midfielder. “There’s all kinds of people, but I was surprised by how many just disappeared.”

Gomez’s suspension will officially end in October, clearing the way for his debut with Padova in Serie B. Now 37, he’s aiming to return to top form and close out a successful career on his own terms—even if his golden days with Argentina and Sevilla are already behind him.