If you weren’t paying close attention, you might have overlooked Argentina’s reaction to their loss against Spain after the final whistle.
It wasn’t just a post-match scuffle that reflected their frustration over the 1-0 defeat in the World Cup final on Sunday.
During the trophy presentation, Argentina’s players turned their backs as Spain celebrated their victory.
After being awarded the silver medal by FIFA President Gianni Infantino and US President Donald Trump, the Argentine team opted to look away while Spain accepted their medals and lifted the trophy.
Images depicted golden confetti raining down as Spain celebrated, while Argentina faced in the opposite direction.
Leandro Paredes erupted in anger, lunging at Spain’s Eric Garcia and striking him, which ignited a chaotic brawl among the players.
The punch landed on Garcia’s throat, knocking him to the ground.
A significant fight ensued, prompting Paredes to receive a red card for instigating the altercation, witnessed by assistant referee Tomas Krancznik and Argentina’s coach.
Football analyst Alan Shearer commented, “He went after them. There’s no place, there’s no space for that.” He acknowledged the emotional weight of the defeat, noting that while losing is painful, there are acceptable ways to handle it.
In another incident, Argentina’s Nahuel Molina punched Rodri in the stomach while running to celebrate with his teammates.
Despite Argentina dominating possession, they couldn’t find the back of the net, although goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez set a World Cup record with 11 saves.
Argentina didn’t exhibit the same intensity and physicality as they did in their semi-final against England.
Frustration boiled over when Enzo Fernandes was sent off for a reckless tackle on Pau Kvarsi.
After regulation ended scoreless, substitute Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal in extra time, securing Spain’s second World Cup title and their first since 2010.
