Argentina players including Leandro Paredes involved in brawl after 2026 FIFA World Cup final defeat to Spain - 'Disgusting behaviour'

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Several Argentina players, including Leandro Paredes, were involved in a fiery brawl seconds after the full-time whistle of the 2026 FIFA World Cup final on Sunday, with the midfielder shown a red card for his involvement in the melee.

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It came after Spain deservedly beat the defending champions 1-0 after extra time.

Ferran Torres gave the Spaniards the lead in the 106th minute, smashing home from close range after Nico Williams nodded the ball into his path.

But Paredes was one of several players who appeared to throw a punch at Spanish substitute Gavi in the moments after the game had ended, after the Barcelona midfielder had joined his team-mates on the pitch in the post-match celebrations.

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Following the whistle, Rodri appeared to approach Nahuel Molina, causing the full-back to square up to the Manchester City midfielder.

Eric Garcia promptly broke things up, pushing Molina away, while Paredes joined in with the tangle, pushing Garcia away by the neck.

Paredes, alongside Thiago Almada, then wrestled Gavi to the floor as several punches were thrown and arms flailed, before players and staff from both sides swarmed in to separate the players.

Rodri confronts Nahuel Molina seconds after the conclusion of the match

Image credit: Getty Images

It capped off a hot-tempered affair from the Argentines, after Enzo Fernandez was also dismissed at the end of normal time for a second bookable offence, while other players were lucky to escape cards during several fouls and flashpoints.

Argentina, who also came under fire for their behaviour in the semi-final win over England, failed to register a shot on target in the entire match, compared to Spain's 12.

'It doesn’t surprise me'

While Paredes immediately saw red for his actions, it seems likely that several players could face retrospective action for their involvement in the brawl.

One player who was absent from it was Lionel Messi, who shook hands with the newly-crowned world champions before sitting dejected on the turf of the MetLife Stadium.

It will likely be the last picture of Messi on the World Cup stage, as the all-time top scorer will be 43 by the time the next edition rolls around.

Pundits were quick to condemn the violent scenes post-match, labelling it as predictable.

"Does it surprise you? It doesn't surprise me," Wayne Rooney told the BBC. "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 Fernandez 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."

Alan Shearer told the BBC: "There is no place or space for that. There's a way to lose, we know it hurts. I think it was Paredes who threw at least two haymakers.

"The best team has won from start to finish."

Meanwhile, TNT Sports pundit Joe Hart called the post-match antics "disgusting".

"There was a man on the pitch who did have class, and that was Lionel Messi who shook hands with each one of those Spanish players," Hart told the BBC.

"The game is done and Argentina can have no complaints over what happened today. It was disgusting behaviour. Rodri didn't need to get in their faces but when you've been wound up for 120 minutes and you felt you've been wronged and you've got that win, leave it.

"With Argentina, you're not surprised they've crossed the line again."

For the second edition in a row, the defending champions lost in the final, while Spain lifted the trophy for the second time.

Once again, they triumphed 1-0 after extra time, 16 years after Andres Iniesta's winner against the Netherlands in Johannesburg in 2010.

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