Leandro Paredes was at the centre of ugly scenes after Argentina's 1-0 extra-time defeat to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final, with the former Roma and Juventus midfielder sent off following a touchline brawl after the final whistle.
Footage that quickly went viral showed Paredes grabbing Spain defender Eric Garcia by the neck before throwing Barcelona midfielder Gavi to the ground when he came to his teammate's defence. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni and assistant Walter Samuel had to step in to separate the players as tensions boiled over at the New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The incident capped a bitter night for the defending champions, who had already been reduced to 10 men when Enzo Fernandez was dismissed late in regulation for a second yellow card. Ferran Torres scored the winner in the 106th minute, pouncing on a bouncing ball to fire Spain to their second men's World Cup title after 2010.
Gavi later revealed what had provoked Paredes' reaction. "I simply asked him: 'Didn't Infantino answer your calls this time?'" the 21-year-old told Spanish media. "The moment I said it, he completely lost his head. He didn't even let me finish. What did I want to tell him? That football has finally beaten corruption."
The flashpoint followed another incident, with Nahuel Molina reportedly throwing a punch towards Rodri as the Spain captain walked past. The chaotic coda marred what was otherwise a historic night for Spanish football — the nation becoming the first to hold both the men's and women's World Cup titles simultaneously.
Spain's victory denied Lionel Messi a second consecutive World Cup crown in what the 39-year-old indicated was his final appearance on the global stage. Spain's defence conceded just one goal across their eight matches, a tournament record for a champion.
Paredes, who spent three seasons in Serie A with Roma and Juventus, was shown a red card after the final whistle by the match officials. The Argentine Football Association is likely to face questions over the conduct of their players in the aftermath of the defeat.
Sources
- https://football-italia.net/former-roma-man-paredes-loses-his-head/
- https://apnews.com/article/argentina-spain-world-cup-final-score-messi-fccc26aa12d9226e63d06b601b770617
