Here’s what Nicolas Otamendi said to Rodri during their heated moment in the World Cup final.
Here’s what Nicolas Otamendi said to Rodri after their heated chat following the 2026 World Cup final.
Ferran Torres scored the winning goal in extra time, giving Spain a 1-0 win and making them world champions for only the second time.
Argentina faced a lot of criticism during the game for using rough tactics to try and stop Spain’s smooth passing style. This worked until the 93rd minute when Enzo Fernández was sent off for a bad tackle on Pau Cubarsi after getting a second yellow card.
In extra time, Argentina played very defensively while Spain kept pushing forward. Finally, in the 106th minute, Nico Williams headed the ball back to Torres, who smashed it in to win the match.
Right after the final whistle, things got ugly. Leandro Paredes was sent off following a clash where he grabbed Eric Garcia by the throat and wrestled Gavi to the ground.
Alan Shearer said on the BBC, “Paredes threw a few punches. There’s no excuse for that. We understand how much this means to them and how painful losing is, but there’s a right way to handle it. Too often we’ve seen Argentina’s reaction after big losses, and it’s really disappointing.”
Wayne Rooney added, “I’m not surprised. We’ve seen this behavior from Argentina before, like when they knocked England out last round. Enzo Fernández deserved his red card too. It’s sad. If you lose, just be graceful and leave quietly. Their reaction was poor.”
Nahuel Molina also seemed to try to throw a punch at Rodri, who stood up to him, leading to a scuffle involving several players and staff before things calmed down.
Paredes, already booked in the final and committing fouls during the game, finally got sent off after the match for his actions.
But the drama didn’t end there. Otamendi and Rodri had an intense conversation on the pitch afterward. Reports say Otamendi accused Rodri and teammate Aymeric Laporte of trying to influence the referee before the game.
According to Marca, Otamendi said, “Stop talking so much, idiot. You two spent the whole week complaining. You and Laporte were both whining. That’s not how you do things. You were crying to the referees all week, my friend.”
Rodri seemed surprised and asked what he meant, to which Otamendi replied, “Laporte? Didn’t you see what he said this week?”
Laporte, who plays for Athletic Club, had said before the match that he wasn’t worried about Argentina’s physical style as long as the referee kept control.
He said, “We’ve seen some things allowed in recent matches that surprised us, especially with Argentina. They like to send little messages with their challenges, and that shouldn’t be allowed, especially in a big tournament because it can throw you off. It’s the referee’s job to keep the game in check so it doesn’t get out of hand. If one or two players get away with too much, the game becomes a mess. We’ve been a fair team throughout the tournament.”