Leandro Paredes speaks out after grabbing a Spain player by the throat in tense moments following the World Cup final.
Leandro Paredes has shared a message after the upsetting scenes following Argentina’s 1-0 loss to Spain in the World Cup final. Ferran Torres scored the only goal in extra time, stopping Argentina from winning back-to-back World Cups.
Before that goal, Argentina hadn’t managed a single shot on Spain’s goal, and Enzo Fernandez was sent off after getting two yellow cards during regular time. Paredes, who came on in the second half, was also involved in some trouble after the final whistle. Although he had a yellow card during the game, he was initially thought to have been sent off for grabbing Spain’s Eric Garcia by the throat and wrestling with Gavi.
FIFA later said that the red card shown to Paredes was a mistake, and he was not officially sent off. However, Paredes might still face a three-match suspension because FIFA is investigating the post-match incidents. Other issues involved Argentina’s Nahuel Molina seemingly punching Rodri, and assistant coach Roberto Ayala reportedly punching Dani Olmo.
Some Argentine players, like Fernandez and captain Lionel Messi, have spoken about the final but have avoided discussing the bad behavior. Paredes, on the other hand, expressed pride in playing for Argentina, calling this the best national team in history.
He said, “THANK YOU ARGENTINA!! I LOVE YOU TODAY AND ALWAYS. I’m heartbroken we couldn’t bring the joy our country deserves, but I’m proud we gave everything and held our flag high. Thank you to all my teammates who fought for this jersey until the very last second. It was an honor to be part of the best Argentine team ever!”
Paredes didn’t mention the post-game actions or apologize, likely waiting for FIFA’s investigation to finish. FIFA announced they are looking into what happened after the match and will share updates once the investigation is complete.