A brawl erupted between players from Argentina and Spain immediately following the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, which saw Spain secure a 1-0 victory. The altercation involved several Argentina players, including Leandro Paredes, who received a red card for his role in the melee. The incident occurred moments after the final whistle, as Spain‘s substitutes ran onto the pitch to celebrate their win.
The confrontation began when Spain captain Rodri approached Argentina defender Nahuel Molina, leading to a heated exchange. Molina appeared to swing at Rodri, who then stopped and shouted at the Argentina player. Molina subsequently bumped chests with Rodri, prompting Spain‘s Eric Garcia to intervene.
Paredes then became heavily involved, pushing Garcia by the throat. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni attempted to de-escalate the situation, wagging his finger at Paredes. Despite the intervention, Paredes then turned his attention to Spain‘s Gavi, who was already engaged in a struggle with Argentina‘s Thiago Almada.
Paredes wrestled Gavi to the ground and appeared to push into his face while holding him by his substitute bib. Multiple punches were reportedly thrown, and arms flailed as players and staff from both teams rushed in to separate those involved. Paredes had been booked earlier in the match and was fortunate to avoid a second yellow card before the post-match incident.
Reactions to the post-match scenes
The behaviour of the Argentina players drew strong criticism from pundits. Wayne Rooney commented that the scenes did not surprise him, referencing previous instances of similar conduct from the Argentina team. He described the behaviour as disappointing and sad, suggesting that losing teams should be graceful.
Alan Shearer echoed these sentiments, stating there was no place for such actions and that there is a proper way to lose. He specifically mentioned Paredes throwing multiple punches. TNT Sports pundit Joe Hart labelled the post-match antics as “disgusting behaviour.”
The incident followed a hot-tempered match where Enzo Fernandez was dismissed at the end of normal time for a second bookable offence. Argentina also came under scrutiny for their conduct during their semi-final victory against England. Throughout the final, Argentina failed to register a single shot on target, while Spain managed 12.
Messi’s final World Cup appearance
Amidst the chaos, Lionel Messi was observed shaking hands with the newly crowned world champions before sitting dejected on the pitch at MetLife Stadium. This appearance is widely expected to be Messi‘s last on the World Cup stage, as he will be 43 by the time the next tournament takes place.
Messi, who scored eight goals during the tournament, led his teammates to collect their runners-up medals. He was seen crying as Argentina fans serenaded him. He waited until Spain lifted the trophy before quickly leaving the pitch, marking a potentially bitter end to his World Cup journey.
In another notable moment during the medal ceremony, Argentina centre-back Cristian Romero reportedly snubbed a handshake from Donald Trump, who was presenting medals. Romero shook hands with FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum but did not engage with the US president.
Spain‘s victory marked their second World Cup title, secured by a 1-0 scoreline in extra time, 16 years after their initial triumph in 2010.
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Source: tntsports.co.uk
