Argentina‘s World Cup journey concluded with a 1-0 defeat to Spain in the final, marked by chaotic scenes and confrontations after the final whistle. The match, held in New Jersey, saw Spain secure the trophy, but the post-game events drew significant criticism.
Following Ferran Torres‘ goal in extra time, which sealed Spain‘s victory, several Argentina players were involved in a brawl. Leandro Paredes, an Argentina midfielder, was at the centre of much of the controversy, having been booked earlier in the match. He was later shown a red card for his involvement in the post-match melee.
Post-match confrontations
The tension escalated immediately after the final whistle. Spain substitutes rushed onto the pitch to celebrate, leading to a series of physical altercations. Nahuel Molina, an Argentina defender, appeared to swing at Spain captain Rodri. This incident prompted Rodri to confront Molina, who then bumped him in the chest.
Eric Garcia of Spain intervened, pushing Molina away. At this point, Paredes became involved, pushing Garcia by the throat. As Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni attempted to de-escalate the situation, wagging his finger, Paredes then turned his attention to Spain‘s Gavi.
Paredes, alongside Thiago Almada, wrestled Gavi to the ground, appearing to push into his face while holding him by his substitute bib. Several of Gavi‘s teammates, including Borja Iglesias, stepped in to shield him. Pundits widely condemned these actions.
Pundit reactions and Messi’s final appearance
Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart described Argentina‘s behaviour as “disgusting.” He noted that Lionel Messi was the only player on the pitch who showed class, shaking hands with every Spanish player. Hart added that Spain fully deserved their victory, having been superb throughout the tournament and dominating the final.
Gary Neville echoed this sentiment, stating, “It’s a disgrace.” He acknowledged Argentina‘s competitiveness but criticised their conduct in recent games. Alan Shearer highlighted Paredes‘ actions, saying, “There is no place or space for that.” He emphasised that while losing hurts, there is a way to lose gracefully, a sentiment shared by Wayne Rooney, who found Argentina‘s behaviour unsurprising given past incidents.
Argentina had previously faced criticism for their aggressive behaviour during their 2-1 semi-final win against England. During that match, players unveiled a banner claiming sovereignty of the Falkland Islands. Lee Dixon accused Argentina of “anti-football” during the final, while Ally McCoist stated that Spain was “the only team trying to win this game.”
Lionel Messi, at 39, watched the events unfold with tears. He shook hands with the newly crowned world champions before sitting dejected on the turf. He then led his teammates to collect their runners-up medals, crying as Argentina fans chanted his name. Messi, who scored eight goals in the tournament, became only the third player to appear in three men’s World Cup finals, following Brazil‘s Cafu. He quickly left the pitch after Spain lifted the trophy.
Controversial handshake snub
In another notable moment during the medal presentation, Argentina centre-back Cristian Romero appeared to snub a handshake from Donald Trump, the US president. Trump was distributing medals to both teams and individual award winners. Romero shook hands with Fifa president Gianni Infantino and Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum, who were positioned on either side of Trump, but did not engage with the US president.
Romero, a 28-year-old Tottenham defender, started the match in the heart of the Argentine defence alongside Lisandro Martinez before being substituted in the 70th minute.
Read Also
- New York-New Jersey Stadium to host Spain versus Argentina World Cup final
- Golden Boot race intensifies as Mbappe leads Messi ahead of World Cup final
- Tour de France: Evenepoel criticises 'inhuman' overnight doping tests after stage 15 win
- Madrid fans celebrate Spain's World Cup victory over Argentina
Source: independent.co.uk
Harry Loxley is a Senior Football Correspondent at NewsGB.org. He spent his early career reporting East Midlands football. He focuses on the Premier League, the EFL and the England national side and is known for clear, deadline-driven reporting. He holds a degree in Sports Journalism from the University of Derby and completed an NCTJ diploma. Now based in Derby, he watches non-league and runs a fan podcast. “Good football writing follows the people, not just the points.”