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Argentina won seven matches en route to the 2026 FIFA men’s World Cup final and forced Spain, the clearly superior side, to extra time, keeping hope alive that La Albiceleste could become the first repeat men’s World Cup champions since Brazil in 1958 and 1962.
But the dam broke when Spain’s Nico Williams headed a cross back into the box for Ferran Torres, who rocketed a goal in the 106th minute. Spain, otherwise known as La Roja, went on the win their second men’s World Cup title and first since 2010.
When the final whistle blew, some Argentine players proved to be sore losers, especially Leandro Paredes, who got particularly physical with Spain players Eric Garcia and Gavi. Paredes grabbed Garcia’s throat, even though Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni tried to intervene, before beating up Gavi on the ground.
BBC Sport’s Dale Johnson and ESPN’s Mark Ogden have reported that FIFA will look into what happened.
“FIFA’s disciplinary committee has appointed a disciplinary and ethics prosecutor to assess what happened after the final whistle at MetLife Stadium,” Johnson wrote. “Any player or coach involved in the fracas could face suspension, while the Argentine Football Association (AFA) may also be fined.”
Gavi has spoken out to say he doesn’t believe Paredes “should be suspended,” per El Partidazo de COPE.
“It’s not a good image for kids, but there is also this part of football that is more violent,” Gavi said. “The most logical thing would have been to kick him out [of the match], and that’s all.”
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