The World Cup final descended into ugly scenes as Spain were crowned world champions, with Argentina players lashing out in a violent brawl that has triggered a FIFA investigation.
As referee Slavko Vincic blew the final whistle after Ferran Torres' extra-time strike gave Spain a 1-0 victory in New Jersey, Argentina's Nahuel Molina swung his arm at Spain captain Rodri near the halfway line. The pair squared up, and within seconds Leandro Paredes sprinted across, sent Eric García flying, and then grabbed him by the throat. Paredes and substitute Thiago Almada then clashed with Spain's Gavi, pushing and pulling the 21-year-old midfielder. Argentina coaching staff, including head coach Lionel Scaloni, surrounded García in an attempt to protect him from their own teammate.
“FIFA investigates Argentina after brawl with Spain in World Cup final; Messi says 'pain is immense' after 1-0 loss.”
The chaos followed a red card for Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez in the final minutes of regulation time for a moment of madness – he became the sixth player sent off in a World Cup final. Fernandez later broke his silence with a message to fans, though his words were not published in the sources.
Wayne Rooney condemned the scenes, saying: "It's just not the reaction you want. ... If you lose a game of football, be graceful and get out of there. It's really poor from them."
Amid the turmoil, Lionel Messi penned an open letter to supporters, saying: "The pain is immense, and this wound will take time to heal." The 39-year-old, who contributed eight goals and four assists during the tournament, added: "I also want to congratulate Spain on winning the championship." Having now lost two World Cup finals – the previous one to Germany in 2014 – Messi is unlikely to feature at the 2030 tournament, though he has yet to clarify his international future.
The brawl cast a shadow over Spain's victory, with FIFA launching an investigation into Argentina's behaviour. The fall-out will also impact Premier League clubs: Arsenal face an anxious wait over William Saliba's back injury, while Aston Villa's Amadou Onana is out until next year with an ACL tear sustained during the tournament.