Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes, who was involved in a violent altercation with Spain's players following the World Cup final, has escaped FIFA punishment and refused to apologise. In his first public statement since the incident, Paredes expressed pride in his team's performance rather than remorse.
Violent post-match scenes
Paredes was seen kicking and punching during the melee, shoving Eric Garcia to the ground and grappling with Gavi, halting Spain's celebrations. Nahuel Molina reportedly sparked the confrontation by throwing a punch at Manchester City's Rodri.
FIFA originally indicated Paredes had been shown a red card, but according to BBC Sport, the red card was removed from the record and no action was taken.
Paredes' defiant statement
Paredes wrote: "Thank you, Argentina! I love you today and always. Today, I write with a heavy heart, having been unable to bring our country the joy it so richly deserves. But with a chest full of pride for having given everything we had and for flying our flag at the very top once again! Thank you to everyone who was part of this national team. To this group of players who gave their all to represent this jersey, fighting for it until the very last second of every match! It was an honour to be part of the best Argentine national team in history."
FIFA investigation launched
Despite the red card not appearing on the official record, FIFA confirmed they will investigate the post-match scenes. A statement read: "Following an assessment of the relevant match reports for the FIFA World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, and in line with article 36 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code (FDC), the FIFA Disciplinary Committee has appointed a Disciplinary and Ethics Prosecutor to investigate potential breaches of the FDC with regard to the post-match incidents."
Pundits condemn behaviour
Speaking on BBC's coverage, Alan Shearer said: "Paredes threw two or three haymakers into someone's face. He went for them. There is no place or space for that. We know how much it means to them and we know how much it hurts to lose, but there is a way to lose. Too many times we have seen that from Argentina. The reaction after the final whistle is terrible."
Joe Hart added: "The game's done, they can have absolutely no complaints about what happened today. Disgusting behaviour."
Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni claimed his side 'knew how to lose', saying: "We are gracious in victory, and we must be gracious in defeat. Today, we are showing that we know how to lose. We lost the match, and we accept it, but that doesn't mean we stop living or forget everything we did to get here."
