Argentina’s Ugly Exit After World Cup Loss Steals The Headlines

by Erik MeersJuly 20, 2026, 3:56 pm >

Spain claimed its second World Cup title, and first since 2010, with a 1-0 extra-time win over Argentina on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Ferran Torres broke the deadlock in the 106th minute, capping a match in which Spain dominated play, outshooting Argentina 20-3.

Argentina played the final stretch a man down after Enzo Fernández picked up a second yellow card in second-half stoppage time. President Donald Trump, who attended the match, presented the trophy to the Spanish squad.

The result was decisive, but it was Argentina’s conduct after the final whistle that dominated the conversation Monday.

Leandro Paredes ignited a brawl in the moments after the loss, shoving Spain’s Eric García by the throat and flooring him, then wrestling Barcelona teenager Gavi to the ground and shoving his face before appearing to kick at him. Other players from both sides waded in before order was restored. Paredes was shown a red card after the whistle for his role in the incident.

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The scene drew swift condemnation from pundits across networks. “It’s a disgrace,” Gary Neville said on ITV, adding that Argentina’s conduct had been “a disgrace the last few games.”

On the BBC, Alan Shearer was blunter still: “Paredes threw two or three haymakers into someone’s face. He went for them. There is no place or space for that.”

Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart called the behavior “disgusting,” while Wayne Rooney said the team should have “been graceful and got out of there,” calling the display “really poor.”

Social media reaction was similarly scathing. Soccer analyst Aaron Cikaya wrote that the brawl was “straight thuggery” dressed up as “passion.”

Argentina compounded the damage by skipping its media obligations entirely. The entire squad bypassed the mandatory mixed zone, walking straight to the team bus without a single player addressing reporters — a breach of FIFA’s media requirements. “Stay classy, Argentina!” the LA Times’ Kevin Baxter wrote on social media.

Amid the fallout, Lionel Messi was singled out for the opposite reason. The Argentine captain, whose international future is now uncertain after the loss, shook hands with every Spanish player before leaving the field, earning praise for showing grace in defeat even as his teammates did not.