Spain won the World Cup, but the celebrations turned ugly as Argentina players clashed with rivals after the final whistle. Fans are now demanding FIFA take strict action.
Spain's historic FIFA World Cup triumph was marred by chaotic scenes after the final whistle as tempers boiled over and players from both teams became involved in a mass confrontation.
What should have been a night remembered for Spain's dramatic victory instead ended with punches, red cards and heated exchanges, prompting many football fans online to call for Argentina to face severe punishment, with some even demanding the team be banned from future tournaments.
Spain secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory after Ferran Torres struck the decisive goal in the 106th minute of extra time. Argentina had already been reduced to 10 men after Enzo Fernandez was sent off in the 93rd minute following a reckless challenge.
Related Articles
Violence erupts after full-time whistle
The final whistle sparked extraordinary scenes as Spain's substitutes and coaching staff rushed onto the pitch to celebrate their World Cup success.
Instead of accepting defeat, several Argentina players lost their composure.
Midfielder Leandro Paredes was shown a straight red card after punching Eric Garcia and pushing Gavi to the ground during the melee. Nahuel Molina was also seen punching Rodri in the torso as the Spanish midfielder ran past, while Thiago Almada became involved in the confrontation.
The ugly scenes drew widespread criticism from former players and pundits, who condemned Argentina's conduct.
Pundits slam Argentina's behaviour
Former England defender Micah Richards described the scenes as unacceptable.
"It's embarrassing. They were on the cusp every single time."
"Seeing that sort of stuff after the game was played, it's not good, it's embarrassing to be honest. Paredes is better than that. We all know what it's like to lose a game but this is not good enough."
Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart was equally critical.
"Disgusting behaviour. There was one man on that pitch with class and that was Lionel Messi."
Wayne Rooney also criticised Argentina's conduct.
"It doesn't surprise me. We've seen this from Argentina before. It's just sad, very poor from them."
"If you lose a game of football, be graceful. It's a reaction to them being outplayed. Enzo Fernandez has got what he deserves."
Alan Shearer echoed those sentiments.
"There's a way to lose. Too many times we've seen that reaction from them. They were trying to win free-kicks and their reaction after full time was terrible. The best team won. It's a result for football because of the way Spain have played."
Argentina's discipline questioned throughout the final
Argentina's frustrations had been evident long before the final whistle.
Fernandez received a second yellow card after a dangerous late challenge on Pau Cubarsi that sent the Spanish defender tumbling. Although the midfielder protested the decision, the dismissal left Argentina chasing the game with 10 men.
Paredes had also escaped an earlier dismissal after a foul on the edge of the penalty area that handed Lamine Yamal a dangerous free-kick just before the end of normal time.
The statistics underlined Spain's dominance. Argentina managed only two shots throughout the match, with their first attempt arriving as late as the 117th minute.
The South Americans also committed 24 fouls during the contest, while Spain conceded 21.
Messi criticised over Cucurella incident
Even Lionel Messi found himself under scrutiny during extra time.
Following Fernandez's sending-off, tensions escalated again when Marc Cucurella was seen speaking to Messi while covering his mouth with his fingers.
Under FIFA regulations used during the tournament, deliberately covering the mouth while speaking in a confrontational situation can result in a sending-off. Similar punishments had already been handed to Paraguay's Miguel Almiron during the group stage and Ecuador's Piero Hincapie in the knockout rounds.
Messi immediately gestured towards the referee, seemingly hoping Cucurella would be punished.
However, match officials and VAR decided against taking any action, with the incident not deemed confrontational.
Football pundits was disappointed by Messi's reaction.
Joe Hart said:
"Oh wow! Wow! Yeah, I didn't enjoy that at all from Lionel Messi."
"You realise how on top Spain are if even Lionel Messi is reverting to that."
Micah Richards added:
"We don't want to see people getting sent off in a World Cup final for that."
Wayne Rooney also criticised the Argentine captain.
"It is desperation."
"Argentina play like that, we know that's what they do."
"But the one thing you want is good sportsmanship and that was sad to see Lionel Messi doing that."
Fans demand action after chaotic finale
The explosive ending quickly became one of the biggest talking points after the World Cup final.
While Spain celebrated a deserved victory after controlling much of the contest, the focus on social media rapidly shifted to Argentina's conduct, with many supporters expressing outrage over the post-match violence.
Several fans called for FIFA to impose strict disciplinary action, while the phrase "Ban Argentina" began trending as users criticised what they viewed as repeated incidents of poor sportsmanship on football's biggest stage.
Instead of being remembered solely for Spain lifting the World Cup trophy, the final will also be remembered for the chaotic scenes that unfolded moments after the final whistle.
