Argentina’s 0-1 loss to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final continues to spark controversy after a new video surfaced on social media, allegedly revealing the South American players’ attempt to influence the decision to send off Enzo Fernandez.
Coach Lionel Scaloni’s team fell after 120 minutes at New York New Jersey Stadium, as Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal in the 106th minute, securing Spain’s second World Cup championship in history. However, instead of focusing solely on footballing matters, the match remains continuously overshadowed by controversies surrounding Argentina’s behavior.
The focus of the video is the incident where Enzo Fernandez received a second yellow card in second-half injury time. Just a few days after scoring the decisive goal to help Argentina defeat England in the semifinals, the Chelsea midfielder once again put his team at a disadvantage with a late challenge on Pau Cubarsi.
Fernandez immediately reacted furiously to referee Slavko Vincic’s decision, but slow-motion replays showed that this was a fairly clear foul and the second yellow card was fully justified.
The new video circulating online has caused even more discussion surrounding the incident. The footage shows defender Nicolas Tagliafico standing near Spain’s penalty area without experiencing any contact from an opponent. However, right after Fernandez committed the foul, this player suddenly clutched his ankle and collapsed to the pitch.
The video also captured Lionel Messi immediately running up to referee Slavko Vincic after Fernandez was sent off. The Argentina captain repeatedly pointed toward Tagliafico lying on the ground, seemingly trying to draw the referee’s attention to that situation.
Although Tagliafico lying on the pitch could powders change the outcome, Argentina was believed to be hoping the referee would review the entire sequence of events leading up to Fernandez’s red card.
However, all efforts were in vain. The decision to send him off stood, and Argentina was forced to play the remainder of the match with only 10 men.
A man down, Coach Lionel Scaloni instructed Julian Alvarez to drop deep to assist defensively and plug the gap in midfield. As Spain grew increasingly dominant in possession and overall gameplay, he brought on another defender, leaving Messi almost isolated upfront.
La Roja’s constant pressure finally paid off in the 106th minute. Ferran Torres, coming off the bench, scored the only goal of the match to deliver the world championship to Spain.
The atmosphere grew even more tense after the final whistle. Nahuel Molina was alleged to have landed a punch to captain Rodri’s chest while Spanish players were celebrating. Meanwhile, Leandro Paredes grabbed Eric Garcia’s neck and shoved Gavi to the ground, triggering a fierce brawl between players of both teams.
These images met with a wave of criticism from experts. Former England defender Micah Richards expressed his disappointment at Argentina’s reaction.
“It’s embarrassing. They were so close to success throughout the tournament, but what happened after the match is unacceptable. Paredes is a better player than what he showed. Everyone understands the feeling of defeat, but behaving like that is beneath them.”
Sharing the same view, Wayne Rooney argued that Argentina’s reaction merely reflected helplessness after being dominated by their opponent.
“We’ve seen this with Argentina before. It’s sad and very unprofessional. When you lose a match, accept the result with grace. That’s just the reaction of a team outplayed by their opponent. Enzo Fernandez fully deserved the red card.”
