The ugly scenes that erupted at the final whistle of the World Cup final have triggered a Fifa investigation, with Argentina players facing potential suspension after a brawl that left Spain's Eric Garcia jabbed in the throat and Gavi shoved to the turf.
Fifa's disciplinary committee has appointed a disciplinary and ethics prosecutor to assess what happened after Spain's 1-0 victory at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Any player or coach involved could be banned, and the Argentine Football Association (AFA) may also be fined.
“Fifa investigates Argentina after post-final brawl with Spain, Paredes thrown punches.”
The trouble began when Argentina defender Nahuel Molina appeared to punch Spain midfielder Rodri on the arm or stomach as he ran past. Rodri confronted Molina, but it was the Argentina player who thrust forward aggressively. Garcia ran to support his teammate, at which point Leandro Paredes got involved, jabbing Garcia in the throat. Unused substitute Gavi tried to intervene, only to be forced to the ground by Thiago Almada. Paredes then pushed Gavi to the floor with a hand in his face. Assistant coach Roberto Ayala was seen holding Garcia around the throat and then appearing to strike Spain midfielder Dani Olmo.
Paredes was initially reported by Fifa to have been sent off by referee Slavko Vincic, but the red card was removed from the record shortly afterwards. Fifa confirmed to BBC Sport that no disciplinary action was taken at the time. Argentina had already had one player dismissed, with Enzo Fernandez receiving a second yellow card in second-half stoppage time.
"Paredes threw two or three haymakers into someone's face. He went for them," Alan Shearer said on BBC One's coverage. "There is no place or space for that."
The incident was the latest in a string of disciplinary issues for Argentina at this World Cup. Fifa had already begun the process of potential action after Argentina's players held a banner in support of their country's claims to the Falkland Islands following the semi-final win against England.
With Fifa now investigating, the question is whether the governing body will impose bans that could reshape the squad for future tournaments. The Mirror reported calls for Fifa to "throw the book" at Argentina, who also turned their backs on Spain receiving their medals and lifting the trophy.