A brawl involving several Argentina players, including Leandro Paredes, erupted immediately after the final whistle of the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, following their defeat to Spain. The incident led to Paredes receiving a red card for his involvement in the altercation. The match, which saw Spain triumph 1-0 after extra time, concluded with heated exchanges on the pitch at the MetLife Stadium.
The confrontation began when Rodri approached Nahuel Molina, leading to the Argentina full-back squaring up to the Manchester City midfielder. Eric Garcia intervened, pushing Molina away, but Paredes then became involved, pushing Garcia by the neck. Paredes, along with Thiago Almada, subsequently wrestled Gavi to the ground, with punches reportedly thrown before players and staff from both sides intervened to separate them.
Post-Match Confrontations
The chaotic scenes unfolded as Spain’s substitutes ran onto the pitch to celebrate their victory. Molina was seen appearing to swing a punch towards Spain captain Rodri. The flashpoint escalated when Molina then bumped chests with Rodri, prompting Eric Garcia to step in. Paredes then targeted Garcia, jabbing him in the throat, even as Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni attempted to break up the scuffles.
Following this, Paredes turned his attention to Gavi, who was already engaged with Thiago Almada. Paredes spun Gavi to the ground and appeared to push into his face while holding him by his substitute bib. Several of Gavi’s Spanish teammates, including Borja Iglesias, then intervened to shield him from the confrontation. Paredes had previously received a yellow card during the final.
This post-match incident capped a tense affair for Argentina, which also saw Enzo Fernandez dismissed at the end of normal time for a second bookable offence. Argentina failed to register a single shot on target throughout the match, while Spain recorded 12. The behaviour of the Argentina squad had also drawn criticism following their semi-final victory over England.
Reactions and Implications
Pundits were quick to condemn the violent scenes. Former England striker Wayne Rooney expressed that the behaviour was not surprising, stating, “We’ve seen this from Argentina before. It’s not the reaction you want to see.” He added that Enzo Fernandez received what he deserved, describing the situation as disappointing and sad. Rooney emphasised that losing teams should be graceful and leave the pitch.
Alan Shearer also weighed in, remarking that there is no place for such actions, noting that Paredes appeared to throw at least two punches. He concluded that the better team had won. Joe Hart, a pundit for TNT Sports, labelled the post-match antics as “disgusting behaviour.” He highlighted that Lionel Messi was the only player on the pitch who showed class, shaking hands with each Spanish player before sitting dejected on the turf.
Messi was notably absent from the brawl, and it is widely expected that this final marks his last appearance on the World Cup stage. He will be 43 by the time the next tournament takes place. Despite his individual performance throughout the tournament, where he scored eight goals, the actions of his teammates overshadowed Spain’s deserved victory. Messi was seen crying as he watched Argentina fans after the defeat.
While Paredes received a red card for his actions, it is anticipated that other players involved in the brawl could face retrospective action. The incident marked a sour end for Argentina’s tournament journey, which had been described as emotional leading up to the final. Spain’s victory, secured with a 1-0 scoreline, marked their second World Cup triumph, 16 years after their first in 2010.
In another notable moment during the medal ceremony, Argentina centre-back Cristian Romero appeared to snub a handshake from Donald Trump, who was presenting the medals. Romero shook hands with FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum, but not with the US president. Romero had been substituted in the 70th minute of the match.
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Source: tntsports.co.uk
As NewsGB's Senior Football Correspondent, Jack Ferndale reports on the Premier League, the EFL and the England national side for readers across the country. He covered north-east football for a regional daily. He holds a degree in Sports Journalism from the University of Sunderland and completed an NCTJ diploma. Jack lives in Sunderland, where he watches lower-league football home and away. “The story is in the squad, not just the starting eleven.”
