Argentina called a ‘disgrace’ for their actions while Spain celebrated winning the World Cup trophy.
Argentina’s players faced some criticism for their behavior after losing the World Cup final to Spain. Ferran Torres scored the only goal in extra time, securing Spain’s second World Cup win after their 2010 victory.
Argentina had a tough match, with Enzo Fernandez sent off after two yellow cards. They didn’t manage a single shot on target and were controlled by Spain throughout the game.
After the final whistle, emotions ran high. Leandro Paredes was sent off for an altercation with Eric Garcia and Gavi, while Nahuel Molina tried to punch Rodri during a scuffle. Argentina’s assistant coach, Roberto Ayala, was also seen hitting Spain’s Dani Olmo.
Things eventually calmed down, and Spain kindly gave Argentina a guard of honour as they received their silver medals from Gianni Infantino and Donald Trump.
But when Rodri raised the World Cup trophy, the Argentina team turned their backs to the celebration, facing their own fans instead. Messi briefly looked over but most players didn’t watch the trophy moment.
This didn’t go down well on social media. Former England player Stuart Pearce said on talkSPORT, “When Spain lifted the trophy, all the Argentinians turned their backs. That says a lot.” Co-host Adrian Durham called Argentina “a total embarrassment” for their behavior during the tournament and the ceremony.
Meanwhile, US President Trump, FIFA chief Infantino, Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum, and Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney handed out medals and greeted players. Most players shook Trump’s hand, but Spurs defender Cristian Romero didn’t and just walked past him. Spanish player Borja Iglesias also didn’t make eye contact with Trump.
Before the match, Iglesias said he wanted to keep things simple. “I don’t want to cause trouble, I hope to greet him quickly and forget about it. This is not the time for controversy,” he said.
Spain captain Rodri waited for Trump to move before lifting the trophy to avoid blocking the view, showing respect during the celebration.