‘It was embarrassing’: Argentina’s conduct of World Cup final comes under new scrutiny after viral clip emerges Football News

Argentina players protest after Argentina’s Enzo Fernandez (24) was shown a red card (AP Photo)

argentine fifa world cup The eventual defeat to Spain has been re-examined after new footage emerged on social media that appeared to show the consequences of an attempt to influence Enzo Fernandez’s decisive red card. Lionel Scaloni’s side lost 1-0 after extra time at the New York Stadium, with Ferran Torres scoring the winner in the 106th minute to help Spain win their second World Cup. Much of the post-match discussion, however, focused on Argentina’s performance during and after the final. The latest clip focuses on the incident when Fernandes was sent off in second-half stoppage time. Just days after scoring the winning goal in the semi-final against England, the Chelsea midfielder endured a frustrating night, picking up a second yellow card in the 93rd minute for a challenge on Spanish defender Pau Cubarsi. Fernandez immediately protested the decision, but replays showed the tackle left no doubt about the referee’s decision. Fresh footage circulating online has added another layer to the controversy. Video showed Argentina full-back Nicolas Tagliafico standing unchallenged near the Spanish penalty area before suddenly grabbing his ankle and falling to the ground shortly after Fernandez fouled him. A few seconds ago, Tagliafico was walking normally, with no Spanish players nearby. The same lens also captured Lionel Messi After the red card was shown, he immediately rushed to the referee Slavko Vincic. The Argentine captain pointed at the fallen Tagliafico, seemingly trying to draw the referee’s attention to the incident. While any suspension for Tagliafico would have little impact on the outcome, Argentina appear to be hoping it might prompt officials to review the sequence that led to Fernandez’s dismissal. The effort had no effect and Fernandez’s red card stood and Argentina were forced to play the remainder of the match with 10 men. Scaloni initially restructured the team, asking Julian Alvarez to drop deeper to make up for the numerical disadvantage. As Spain continued to dominate possession and ground, the Argentinian coach eventually brought in an extra defender, leaving Messi increasingly isolated in attack. Spain’s pressure paid off early in extra time when substitute Ferran Torres scored in the 106th minute to seal a historic World Cup victory. As soon as the final whistle blew, everyone’s anger erupted. During the celebrations, Nahuel Molina appeared to hit Spanish captain Rodri in the torso, while Leandro Paredes grabbed Eric Garcia by the throat and then pushed Garvey to the ground, sparking a heated confrontation between players from both teams. The ugly scenes prompted strong criticism from former England defender Micah Richards, who questioned Argentina’s conduct following the defeat. “It’s embarrassing. They’re on the edge every time. To see something like that after the game, it’s not good, it’s embarrassing to be honest. Paredes is better than that. We all know what it’s like to lose a game, but it’s not good enough.” former england captain wayne rooney He also criticized Argentina’s reaction, saying the behavior reflected the frustration of the second-placed team on the night. “We’ve seen this before with Argentina. They were terrible, pathetic. If you lose a game, be classy. It was a reaction to them being beaten. Enzo Fernandez got what he deserved.”