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Argentina came under intense scrutiny after theirs FIFA World Cup 2026 in the final defeat to Spain, and their behavior during the post-match medal ceremony drew a lot of criticism from parts of the football community. According to Goal.com, several observers labeled the runners-up as “classless”. Lionel Messi and his teammates decided not to stay on the podium during the presentation of Spain’s trophy. Spain beat defending champions Argentina 1-0 after extra time at the New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday (local time), Ferran Torres scoring the decisive goal in the 106th minute to secure La Roja’s second FIFA World Cup title. The win also extended Spain’s unbeaten run to a European record 38 games. The controversy started after Argentina collected their silver medals. Instead of wanting to applaud the newly crowned world champions, the players went to the opposite side of the pitch as Spain prepared to lift the trophy. The gesture attracted attention as Spain earlier formed a guard of honor and applauded Argentina as they made their way to receive their runners-up medals. The atmosphere remained tense even during the awarding of individual awards. As Rodri stepped forward to receive the Ballon d’Or for being named the tournament’s best player, sections of Argentina fans inside the stadium responded by chanting Lionel Messi, a moment that also drew criticism. Speaking on talkSPORT, TV presenter Adrian Durham strongly condemned Argentina’s behaviour. “There is no class. They were absolutely shocking. They were an absolute disgrace here today. The fans, we think, were brilliant. But even during the trophy lifting, when Rodri went to collect the trophy for the best player of the tournament, the fans sang Messi’s name and they sang Argentina too. They just can’t accept that Argentina have been beaten in the World Cup final,” Durham said, according to Goal.com. Durham also questioned Argentina’s performance during the tournament. “Argentina is a complete disgrace to the game, a disgrace to the World Cup. In fact, they were an embarrassment throughout, really, apart from those 20 minutes against England,” he added. Continuing his criticism, Durham said: “Drawn in the easiest group in World Cup history, working hard in the knockouts against Cape Verde, Egypt needed to grab defeat from the jaws of victory to advance to the quarters, where Switzerland shot themselves in the foot with an unnecessary red card.” He further claimed: “England was on top in the semi-finals, they handed Argentina on a plate, who reached the final and completely embarrassed themselves. Let’s face it, they had Argentina, a ridiculous list of decisions coming their way in this tournament.” Wishes were already kindled before the medal ceremony. Shortly after the final whistle, players from both sides got involved in the altercation. Video footage shows Argentina defender Leandro Paredes grabbing Spain’s Eric Garcia by the throat before pushing substitute Gavi to the ground when the latter tried to intervene. Players from both teams, along with Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni, quickly stepped in to defuse the situation. Paredes later received a red card after the altercation. It remains unclear whether further disciplinary action will be taken, and FIFA did not immediately comment on the incident. The final itself remained goalless during regular time despite Spain controlling possession and creating the better chances. Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez produced a series of outstanding saves to deny Dani Olmo, Ferran Torres and Pau Cubarsi. Argentina’s hopes suffered another blow in stoppage time when Enzo Fernandez was sent off after receiving a second yellow card for a late tackle on Cubarsi, becoming only the sixth player to be sent off at a FIFA World Cup final. Spain finally got the breakthrough in the 106th minute when Nico Williams flicked the ball into the path of Torres, who slotted home the winner to deny Argentina the chance to become the first nation in 64 years to successfully defend their FIFA World Cup title. While Spain celebrated another historic triumph, much of the post-match debate focused on Argentina’s actions after the final whistle, with their conduct during the on-field confrontation and medal ceremony becoming almost as widely debated as the result itself.
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