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Alexi Lalas pulled no punches in condemning Argentina's post-match conduct after the entire team refused to face the media following their heartbreaking FIFA World Cup Final loss.
On Sunday, Spain clinched its second men's World Cup crown and first in 16 years with a narrow 1-0 victory over Argentina. Early in the second half of extra time, La Roja's Nico Williams headed the ball to Ferran Torres, who produced a stunning finish past goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez for the match's sole goal.
Several Argentina stars made little attempt to hide their dejection after the final whistle, with Leandro Paredes throwing Gavi to the ground before teammates Thiago Almada stepped in to hold him back. The chaos that followed the game has since prompted a FIFA investigation, as per The Mirror US.
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Once Spain's World Cup celebrations had wound down, Argentina wasted no time vacating MetLife Stadium.
As reported by the Miami Herald's Michelle Kaufman, La Albiceleste players bypassed the mandatory mixed zone entirely, making a beeline for the team bus instead. Upon learning of Argentina's snub of the media, Lalas offered a blunt one-word assessment: "Weak."
Argentina's players drew fierce backlash from fans and reporters alike for their behavior both during and after the contest. In the 93rd minute of stoppage time, Enzo Fernández was shown a second yellow card for a reckless challenge on Spain defender Pau Cubarsi.
As La Roja celebrated their triumph moments later, Paredes shoved Eric Garcia to the ground before seizing him by the neck. Turning his attention to Gavi, the 32-year-old appeared to launch a swing at the midfielder, prompting referee Slavko Vincic to produce a straight red card.
Argentina assistant coach Roberto "El Ratón" Ayala, meanwhile, seemed to challenge Spain midfielder Dani Olmo on the field, sparking another heated confrontation. The clash spilled into the stands, with Colombian television network Noticias Caracol reporting that "at least a dozen people" were arrested inside the MetLife Stadium section designated for Argentina players' family members.
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La Albiceleste players who remained on the field moved toward the site of the commotion in the crowd, causing their somewhat delayed appearance at Spain's World Cup trophy ceremony.
When the proceedings finally commenced, Argentina players turned their backs on Spain as La Roja players collected their medals from President Donald Trump on the stage.
Numerous analysts swiftly criticized Argentina for its "disgusting" post-match behavior, with BBC's Micah Richards commenting: "The first yellow card wasn't until 40-odd minutes in the first-half, but seeing that sort of stuff after the game's been played and someone's just been crowned World Cup champions, it's not good enough.
"It's quite embarrassing to be honest. Paraedes there, he doesn't need to do that, he's better than that. And it doesn't stop there, it keeps going, and going, and going. And we all know what it's like to lose a game, we can be very frustrated, we understand that. But this is not good enough, it's not a good look at all."
Former England star Wayne Rooney acknowledged he was barely shocked by Argentina's behavior, noting: "Does it surprise you? It doesn't surprise me. We've seen this from Argentina before. It's not the reaction you want to see.
"We saw some of the reaction after they knocked England out of the World Cup, and I think Enzo Fernández has got what he deserved as well. It's disappointing and it's sad.
"If you lose a game of football, you should be graceful, and you should just get off the pitch. It was very poor from them."
