Chaos broke out at the final whistle of the World Cup final when Argentina’s Leandro Paredes was dramatically sent off for violent conduct, ending a night of controversy after Spain’s tense 1-0 win. The midfielder received a red card following a wild scuffle with Spanish players Eric García and Gavi, sending Argentina off for the second time in the match and overshadowing Spain’s historic victory secured by Ferran Torres in extra time.
The contest at the highest level turned ugly in the final moments. Enzo Fernandez had already left Argentina a man down after being sent off for two yellow cards late in regular time – first booked for dissent, then sent off for a reckless challenge on Pau Cubarsi. Despite their numerical disadvantage, Argentina fought hard to score a penalty, but were thwarted by Torres’ decisive strike in extra time.
Spain’s celebrations were cut short as tempers flared on the pitch. Nahuel Molina appeared to punch Rodri in the stomach, prompting the Manchester City midfielder to retaliate. As Eric Garcia intervened to defuse the tension, Paredes escalated the situation by kicking Garcia and grabbing him by the throat. The scene soon descended into chaos as unused Spain substitute Gavi attempted to separate the pair but found himself on the receiving end – with Paredes throwing punches in retaliation and pushing the 21-year-old to the ground. Players from both teams ran out, turning the pitch into a battlefield as officials struggled to restore order.
The result was immediate and sharp. Former England star Wayne Rooney expressed his disappointment when speaking to the BBC: “Does it surprise you? It doesn’t surprise me, I think we’ve seen that before with Argentina and it’s not the reaction you want. We’ve also seen some reaction after knocking England out in the last round. I think Enzo Fernandez has got what he deserves too, so it’s disappointing. But it’s just sad. If you watch a game of football If they lose, maybe they should be polite and go away from there, it is very bad for them.
Joe Hart echoed this sentiment, highlighting the contrast with the Argentina captain: “Disgusting. There was one man on the pitch who had class, and that was Lionel Messi – shook hands with all those Spanish players. Game’s done, he can’t have any complaints about what happened today. Disgusting behaviour.”
Panelist Micah Richards didn’t hold back, saying: “It’s a real shame, because I admire Argentina in terms of how they approach the game… To see things like this after the game has been played and someone has been crowned World Cup champion, it’s not good enough. It’s quite a shame, to be honest. Paredes, he doesn’t have to do that, he’s better than that. And that’s not it.” Stopping, going and going, and going and going. We all know what it’s like to lose a game, we can be very disappointed, we understand that but it’s not good enough, it’s not good at all.”
The World Cup final will be remembered not only for Spain’s victory, but also for the embarrassing scenes that followed, which overshadowed a night of celebration for world football.
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