Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes, in his first social media post since the ugly brawl that followed the FIFA World Cup 2026 final defeat to Spain in New York, avoided any mention of the incident that drew widespread criticism and tarnished Argentina’s image. The post came a day after Spain youngster Lamine Yamal appeared to mock him during the team’s World Cup victory celebrations in Madrid.
Event Context
A final already marred by heavy challenges and persistent fouls descended into chaos at the final whistle. Boca Juniors midfielder Paredes charged into a confrontation with Spain defender Eric Garcia, grabbing him by the throat before shoving him to the ground. When substitute Gavi stepped in to intervene, Paredes pushed him down as well.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni rushed in to separate the players, but Paredes continued to confront Spanish players before teammates finally dragged him away.
The incident has since prompted a FIFA investigation, yet Paredes chose to focus solely on Argentina’s campaign in his Instagram message.
Earlier on Monday, Spain’s World Cup celebrations in Madrid added another twist to the controversy. As thousands of fans lined the streets, Yamal picked up a poster from the crowd and showed it to Gavi. It read: “La Velada del Año VI: Gavi vs Paredes.”
Yamal laughed and remarked that he would love to see the event happen. For context, La Velada del Año is a hugely popular Spanish event where streamers and online personalities compete in amateur boxing bouts.
FIFA has since confirmed disciplinary proceedings.
In a statement, football’s governing body said its “disciplinary committee has appointed a Disciplinary and Ethics Prosecutor to investigate potential breaches of the FIFA Disciplinary Code relating to the post-match incidents.”
Player Focus
“Thank you to every single person who was part of this national team, to this group of players who gave everything to represent this jersey until the very last second of every match.”
Team Analysis
He also thanked his teammates for the journey.
Paredes concluded by calling the current squad “the greatest Argentina national team in history.”
The ugly scenes at the end of the final were not limited to Garcia and Gavi. Spain captain Rodri also appeared to be struck in the stomach by Argentina defender Nahuel Molina while celebrating the victory. Molina later confronted Rodri again as Nicolas Otamendi, his former Manchester City teammate, exchanged heated words with the Spanish midfielder.
Match Outlook
“Today, I write with so much pain in my heart because we couldn’t give our country the joy it deserved,” Paredes wrote. “My heart is full of pride because we gave everything we had and once again carried our flag as high as possible.”
The statement did not identify Paredes by name or specify a timeline for the investigation. Although the Argentine midfielder escaped a red card during the match, he could still face retrospective disciplinary action.
