Argentina’s players turned their backs on Spain as they lifted the World Cup trophy.
Spain sealed a 1-0 victory over Argentina in the World Cup final on Sunday with Ferran Torres scoring the winner in the first half of extra time.
After the full-time whistle, tensions boiled over as Argentina defender Nahuel Molina sparked a brawl by punching Spain captain Rodri in the chest as he ran over to his teammates to celebrate.
Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes was also sent off after the full-time whistle as he grabbed Spain midfielder Gavi by the throat and threw him to the ground.
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For the World Cup medal ceremony, Spain’s players gave Argentina’s players, led by a tearful Lionel Messi, a guard of honour as they went up to collect their silver medals.
However, for Spain’s turn to collect their gold medals and lift the World Cup trophy, Argentina’s players moved all the way to the other side of the pitch and had their backs towards their opponents, facing their own supporters, in an apparent show of disrespect.
Former England captain Stuart Pearce said during talkSPORT’s coverage of the World Cup final: ‘When Spain were about to lift their trophy, the Argentinians, to a man, all stood with their back to the trophy lift.
“That probably tells you a great deal, doesn’t it?”
talkSPORT host Adrian Durham added: ‘Yeah, no class, whatsoever. They’ve been absolutely shocking.
‘They’ve been a total disgrace here today. The fans, we think have been brilliant. But even during the trophy lift, also when Rodri went up to get the best player in the tournament trophy, the fans were singing Messi’s name and they were singing Argentina as well.
‘They simply cannot accept that Argentina were beaten in the World Cup final.
‘Argentina are a total embarrassment to the game, an embarrassment to the World Cup. In fact, they have been an embarrassment all along really, apart from that 20 minutes against England.
‘Drawn in the easiest group in World Cup history, made hard work in the knockouts against Cape Verde, needed Egypt to grab defeat from the jaws of victory to get through to the quarters where Switzerland shot themselves in the foot with a needless red card.
‘England in the semis were on top, handed it on a plate to Argentina who came here to the final and totally embarrassed themselves.
‘Let’s face it, they have had, Argentina, a ridiculous list of decisions come their way in this tournament.’
In a heated confrontation immediately after the full-time whistle Argentina defender Nicolas Otamendi, who played alongside Rodri at Manchester City, accused the Spain captain of ‘crying’ to match officials during the World Cup.
‘You were crying all week,’ Otamendi was seen telling Rodri.
‘You and [Aymeric] Laporte, both of you. That’s not right, you were crying with the referees, my friend.’
Speaking after the heated end to Argentina’s defeat to Spain, former Manchester United and England defender Gary Neville hit out at Paredes and Argentina’s conduct.
‘He’s a disgrace, him,’ Gary Neville said of Paredes after the full-time whistle.
fighting for their lives throughout the tournament, even today when they were being outplayed by a great Spain side.
‘But he’s been a disgrace the last couple of games. Why ref allowed him to do it I don’t know.’
Meanwhile, United States President Donald Trump played a central role in Spain’s medal ceremony as he handed the World Cup trophy to Rodri.
But in an awkward moment, Trump did not appear to know where to stand as Rodri delayed lifting the trophy until he had moved to the edge of the podium next to FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
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