Mario Alberto Kempes dedicated an emotional message to Luis Galván

Kempes bid farewell to his friend and teammate

The Matador bid farewell to his former teammate in the Argentina National Team that was champion in '78

Argentinian soccer is going through a moment of deep sorrow after the passing of Luis Galván, one of the members of the squad that won the world title with the Argentine National Team in 1978. After the unfortunate news became known, numerous farewell messages began to circulate, and among them, Mario Alberto Kempes's message stood out, as he was also part of that unforgettable team led by César Luis Menotti.

"I deeply regret the passing of Luis Galván, a comrade in struggle and glory in the 1978 National Team, he leaves us with deep sadness," expressed the Matador through his Instagram account.

Later, in another part of his emotional farewell, he added: "Luis was not only an essential part of that historic team that gave us the joy of the world championship, but he was also an exceptional human being, always willing to share his wisdom and effort."

El Matador y el Maestro fueron claves en el título del 78

The Matador's full message

"I deeply regret the passing of Luis Galván, a comrade in struggle and glory in the 1978 National Team, he leaves us with deep sadness," expressed the Matador through his Instagram account.

The Matador's full message

Other farewells

Emotional tributes also came from other world champions in 1978 who shared the locker room with Luis Galván, both in the National Team and in clubs. One of them was Daniel Valencia, his teammate at Talleres de Córdoba and participant in that historic triumph in the Argentina World Cup.

"Before the third and the second, came the first. And in that first, there were all kinds of architects. Some noisy, others celebrated. But there was one —silent, shy— who was, without a doubt, a master. The newspapers rated him a 10 in that final against the Netherlands. For me, they fell short. Because from Santiago del Estero, a legend was born. What a privilege it was to enjoy so many years with you, Luisito!," wrote Valencia, remembering his dear friend.

As the years go by, the pain of farewells becomes more frequent, and the former forward expressed it this way: "For those of us left here, it hurts. It hurts a lot. And for me, personally, it weighs on me to have had to write so many farewells. Time moves on without asking permission, taking pieces of what we were...But it doesn't take everything. Because wherever you go, I'm sure you'll continue teaching."

Meanwhile, Ubaldo Matildo Fillol, goalkeeper of that champion team, publicly expressed his sorrow with a heartfelt message on his social media. "One of the great figures of Argentina's first star has left us. Excellent defender and even better person. It was a true pleasure to have played by your side. Heartfelt hug to all his family and close friends," he wrote on his X account.