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Argentina’s Paredes shown red card after grabbing Spain’s Garcia by the throat following FIFA World Cup final

Spain beat Argentina 1-0 to win the FIFA World Cup 2026, but celebrations were overshadowed by a post-match brawl involving Leandro Paredes, Eric Garcia and Gavi.

Statesman News Service | New Delhi | July 20, 2026 9:30 am

Argentina’s Paredes shown red card after grabbing Spain’s Garcia by the throat following FIFA World Cup final

Ugly scenes at FIFA WC final: Punches thrown, Paredes grabs Garcia by throat after final whistle/ Credit: Xinhua

Spain’s celebrations after winning the 2026 FIFA World Cup were overshadowed by chaotic scenes as players from both sides became embroiled in a heated post-match brawl following the final whistle in New Jersey.

Ferran Torres’ extra-time strike secured a 1-0 victory over defending champions Argentina, handing Spain their second World Cup title and denying Lionel Messi a fairytale ending to his illustrious international career.

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Leandro Paredes at centre of fiery post-match brawl

Tempers flared moments after the final whistle as Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes became the central figure in a series of confrontations.

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Paredes was seen grabbing Spain defender Eric Garcia by the throat before shoving him, prompting teammates from both sides to rush into the melee. He then clashed with Gavi, taking the Spain midfielder to the ground and appearing to shove him in the face as the confrontation escalated.


Elsewhere, Argentina defender Nahuel Molina appeared to swing at Spain captain Rodri, who immediately turned to confront him, while players and coaching staff from both teams stepped in to prevent the situation from worsening. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni was also seen trying to calm his players amid the chaos.

Paredes was shown a straight red card for his role in the post-match melee after grabbing Spain defender Eric Garcia by the throat.


The heated exchanges came after an ill-tempered final in which Argentina had already been reduced to 10 men after Enzo Fernandez was sent off in stoppage time for a dangerous challenge on Pau Cubarsi.

Alan Shearer slams Argentina’s conduct

Former England captain Alan Shearer criticised Argentina’s actions, calling the post-match scenes unacceptable.

“Paredes threw two or three haymakers into someone’s face. He went for them. There is no place or space for that,” Shearer said on BBC. “We know how much it means to them and we know how much it hurts to lose, but there is a way to lose. Too many times we have seen that from Argentina. The reaction after the final whistle is terrible.”

Former England international Stuart Pearce also questioned Argentina’s conduct during the medal ceremony, claiming the players deliberately turned their backs as Spain lifted the World Cup trophy.

“When Spain were about to lift their trophy, the Argentinians, to a man, all stood with their back to the trophy lift,” Pearce said, as quoted by talkSPORT.


The ugly scenes brought an unfortunate end to a memorable World Cup final, with Spain celebrating a historic triumph while Argentina’s frustrations boiled over after missing out on retaining their title.

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