Shoves and Shouting: Physical Skirmish Breaks Out at World Cup Final

Skip to main content Argentina player Leandro Paredes was given a red card for instigating a physical fight against Spanish players following the FIFA World Cup final Leandro Paredes of Argentina gets violent against Gavi of Spain Marvin Ibo Guengoer/GES Sportfoto/Getty Images A brief skirmish broke out on the pitch of the FIFA World Cup final shortly after the final whistle blew and signaled Spain’s 1-0 extra time victory over Argentina on Sunday. Argentinian midfielder Leandro Paredes was seen shoving and grabbing Spanish player Eric García by the throat, before launching an attack on Spain captain Rodrigo Hernández Cascante, aka Rodri. A second Argentinian player, Nahuel Molina, also jumped into the scrap, seen throwing jabs at members of the Spanish squad. BBC soccer analyst Alan Shearer claimed that Paredes instigated the fight, saying he “went for them” and threw “two or three haymakers into someone’s face.” Trending Stories Amid the physical confrontation, Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni tried to intervene and separate his players before the fight escalated even further. Paredes was given a red card, which triggers an automatic suspension for the next match he’s scheduled to play in. However, further disciplinary action may be taken due to public calls for Paredes to face a longer suspension. Culture (Sub)Culture News More News Go to PMC.com Most Popular You might also like