Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in the Final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Once the final whistle was blown the players from the bench charged on to the field to join the celebrations. Some of the Argentina and Spain players clashed on the pitch at the end of a bad-tempered World Cup final in New Jersey with Leandro Paredes and Eric García involved in a physical confrontation seconds after the final whistle.
The game marred by a series of fouls and heavy challenges boiled over at the final whistle when Argentina midfielder Paredes raced into a confrontation and put his hand to the throat with Spain's Garcia, leaving the Spanish defender floored by the force of the impact. The clash sparked a further scuffle between players from both sides including substitutes and coaching staff before the players were separated. Paredes was shown a yellow card shortly after coming into the game for a hard foul.
Soon after this incident, clips went viral on social media and fans were critical of the behaviour of Pardes. Watch the confrontation here.
Following the fight, most of the player and coach interactions were peaceful, with Spain stars being congratulated and coaches of both sides, Scaloni and Luis de la Fuente sharing a long hug at midfield.
Ferran Torres shines as Spain win their second FIFA World Cup
The match between Spain and Argentina did not see any goal in the regulation time and went to extra time. A red card for Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernández for a 90th minute foul on Spain defender Pau Cubarsí reduced Argentina to ten players and added to six yellow cards received by Lionel Scaloni's team. Spain had the most possession and dominated the game with more than 20 shots on target. Unfortunately that could not translate into a goal and they were pressing hard in the extra time.
The first and deciding goal came in the form of Ferran Torres who scored in the 106th minute sealed a 1-0 win for European champions Spain and secured their second World Cup triumph following a 2010 success over the Netherlands in South Africa. Spain conceded only one goal throughout the entire World Cup and displayed a tactical masterclass in the Final.
