Gary Neville has slammed FIFA for its 'unforgivable' decision during Sunday's World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, criticising the late kick-off and the lengthy pre-match ceremony.
Match overview
Ferran Torres' extra-time goal secured a 1-0 victory for Spain over defending champions Argentina in a game that largely failed to live up to its billing. Lionel Scaloni's Argentina did not register a single shot on target in normal time and retreated further after Enzo Fernandez was sent off for a second yellow card. Spain made their numerical advantage count in extra time, with Argentina unable to force a late equaliser.
Neville's complaint
Speaking on Stick to Football with Sky Bet, Neville said: 'I didn't mind the spectacle but that wasn't half a long old day with extra-time and the half-time show. The game kicked off late, that's unforgivable, isn't it? If you kick off late in League Two, you get fined. You can't kick a World Cup final off late. You've literally had four years to plan for it.'
The kick-off was delayed by six minutes due to the lengthy closing ceremony, which featured performances from Post Malone and streamer IShowSpeed, as well as a protracted half-time show that drew criticism from Wayne Rooney, who described it as 'crap'.
Pitch quality questioned
Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright also criticised the condition of the pitch at MetLife Stadium. 'It was a terrible pitch, a terrible pitch for the standard of player, and the calibre of the player who was playing on it,' he said. 'A World Cup final on that pitch? So bad?'
Post-match controversy
Ugly post-match scenes have sparked a FIFA investigation after Argentina players and staff appeared to punch Spanish players shortly after full-time. The tournament also saw several contentious flashpoints.
Infantino's praise
Despite the issues, FIFA president Gianni Infantino lauded the event as a 'great success'. 'From an engagement – a world engagement point of view – from a community point of view, from a social point of view, from a cultural point of view, this has been a huge success,' he said. 'Now the FIFA World Cup as well is, of course, it looks nice when you watch it on TV. I hope, I think, from the matches I've seen on TV, it definitely does. It looks beautiful when you're there, when you're in the stadium, when you feel this energy.'
Trump's call for return
President Donald Trump expressed interest in bringing the tournament back to the United States, telling Fox: 'I think it's a great idea, but based on the numbers, we will be requesting it again immediately. But I said to take out the shock, you could announce us and maybe then for the next one another, and even another. But we have to do this again, and we have to do it while I'm around. You hear that, Gianni?'
