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The chaotic scenes that followed Spain’s 1-0 extra-time win over Argentina in the 2026 World Cup final quickly became one of the tournament’s biggest talking points, with Leandro Paredes at the center of the controversy after a physical confrontation with several Spain players once the final whistle blew.
Amid speculation over whether FIFA would hand Paredes a suspension for his role in the incident, Gavi, one of the players directly involved in the clash, decided to speak out. The Barcelona midfielder made clear he doesn’t believe punishment is the right outcome, despite having been on the receiving end of the confrontation himself.
“I’ll tell you the truth, I don’t think they should be suspended. I understand it’s not a good image for kids, but I think there’s also that part of football that’s a bit more physical. At the end of the day, it’s all football, and it should always stay that way, just football,” Gavi said, via Zona Mixta on X (formerly Twitter).
What happened with Paredes
The confrontation broke out immediately after the final whistle at MetLife Stadium, as Spain’s substitutes rushed onto the field to celebrate. Cameras caught Paredes grabbing Spain defender Eric Garcia by the throat during the chaos, before becoming involved in a separate altercation with Gavi moments later, throwing the 21-year-old to the ground.
Initial reports indicated that referee Slavko Vincic had shown Paredes a red card for his conduct, but FIFA later clarified that no such card was ever issued. The situation isn’t fully closed, though, as FIFA has since opened a disciplinary investigation into Argentina’s conduct following the final.
This probe could still result in sanctions against Paredes or other members of the delegation, including Nahuel Molina and assistant coach Roberto Ayala, both of whom were also involved in separate incidents during the post-match chaos.
Roberto Ayala apologizes for punching Dani Olmo
Argentina’s assistant coach was also caught up in the post-final chaos, throwing a punch at Spain midfielder Dani Olmo. Days later, Ayala addressed the incident in an interview with Esports Migdia on Valencia Capital Radio, expressing regret and saying he intends to apologize to Olmo in person.
“Obviously I’m sorry. Given the position I hold, I can’t allow a feeling, or whatever I might get from the other side, to change my mood and my actions. I’m sorry, for me these are things that stay in the moment and that’s it,” Ayala said.
He also pushed back on how the incident had been described, insisting it wasn’t as severe as reported. “For me, you have to cut things off and leave it there. It was more of a shove than anything else, it wasn’t a punch like people are saying, and it ended there. It was a reaction to something that was said, but that’s it, if I see him I’ll obviously apologize in person,” he explained.
Ayala closed by taking ownership of his actions, while explaining his intentions in the moment. “My intention was to go in and separate them, but sometimes you run into things that happen with your adrenaline through the roof. That’s no excuse, though, and given the position I hold, my behavior has to be different, no matter what I’m on the receiving end of,” he concluded.
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