Spain Boss Slams Argentina Players’ ‘Intolerable’ Behaviour After World Cup Final
Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has publicly condemned the conduct of several Argentina players in the immediate aftermath of Sunday’s World Cup final, calling it “intolerable, unacceptable” and warning that it could have led to far more serious trouble.
According to The Guardian, the incidents centred on Nahuel Molina and Leandro Paredes, who were filmed confronting Spain players as the winning squad celebrated their victory at New York New Jersey Stadium. Molina targeted Rodri, while Paredes went for Eric García before also squaring up to Gavi — all of this while Spain were marking a historic second World Cup triumph on American soil.
De la Fuente, speaking on Spanish television, said he had not noticed the altercations at the time because he was caught up in the celebrations. But once aware, he made his feelings clear. He was particularly pointed given his praise for Argentina in the build-up to the final, acknowledging their quality and their coach. His view was that players of that calibre should have held themselves to a higher standard.
The Spain coach also took the opportunity to highlight how restrained his own squad had been. He credited them with keeping their composure in the face of what he described as outright “acts of aggression” and “provocations,” suggesting things could easily have spiralled had his players responded in kind.
Despite the incidents being widely circulated on social media, no disciplinary action has yet been taken against any Argentina players. Fifa has opened a formal investigation to establish whether the behaviour constituted a violation of its disciplinary code, but at the time of writing, that process remains ongoing.
For those following the tournament’s fallout, our World Cup 2026 hub has the latest updates, and you can check the final live standings from the competition.
Whether sanctions follow will likely depend on how Fifa interprets the footage and whether the incidents are deemed serious enough to warrant retrospective punishment — a question that could have implications for both players’ involvement in future international football.