Tottenham Hotspur captain Cristian Romero has traveled to South America to support his boyhood club, Belgrano, forcing him to miss Tottenham's crucial final Premier League match against Everton on Sunday, May 24, 2026, which will determine if the club avoids its first relegation since 1977.
The 28-year-old defender is currently sidelined with knee ligament damage sustained during a recent 1-0 loss at Sunderland.
Despite earlier touchline appearances this season to support his teammates, Romero chose to fly to Argentina via private jet after briefly visiting the Tottenham training grounds earlier in the week, flashscore.
com reported.
Tottenham currently needs a single point from their final fixture against Everton to guarantee safety. According to telegraph.
co.
uk, a defeat for Roberto De Zerbi's side, combined with a West Ham United victory over Leeds United at the Olympic Stadium, will relegate Spurs to the Championship.
Romero is in Argentina to watch Belgrano face River Plate in the championship play-off final.
Belgrano president Luis Artime confirmed the captain's attendance and noted that the club granted Romero access to their training facilities to continue his injury rehabilitation as he targets fitness for next month's World Cup defense with Argentina.
Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi addressed the situation and defended the character of his injured captain.
De Zerbi emphasized that Romero remains heavily involved behind the scenes despite his physical absence on matchdays.
"Cristian is a big player, an amazing guy [who] has been a great captain in my time even though he didn't play.
We talk on the phone and, when he is here, every morning he comes to my office," said De Zerbi.
The center-back signed an extension in August that ties him to the North London club until 2029.
However, following a failed transfer to Atlético Madrid last year, reports from telegraph. co.
uk indicate Romero is drawing interest from Barcelona and eyeing a move to Spain.
When questioned about Romero's long-term future at the club beyond the current season, De Zerbi declined to give a definitive answer before the final match of the campaign concludes.
"It's a good question but it is the wrong timing. The most important is how much the player wants to stay in this club.
We are going to take all the decisions after the Everton game," said De Zerbi.
