FIFA investigating on-pitch brawl after Spain vs Argentina World Cup final
Argentina’s Leandro Paredes was seen shoving Spanish players, which led to an on-field melee while Spain’s Lamine Yamal prayed calmly.
FIFA says it is investigating an on-pitch altercation between Argentinian and Spanish players at the conclusion of their World Cup final in New Jersey in the US, where the European champions dethroned their South American counterparts in a 1-0 win.
Football’s global governing body confirmed the probe on Monday, saying its disciplinary committee assessed match reports of the multi-player brawl which resulted in an ugly end to a heated match that was decided in extra time.
“FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee has appointed a Disciplinary and Ethics Prosecutor to investigate potential breaches of the FDC with regard to the post-match incidents,” FIFA told Al Jazeera in a statement.
A report on the findings and results of the probe will be shared once it is completed, the statement added.
Spain’s celebrations after winning their second world title were marred by the melee, which seemed inevitable given the flared tempers and angry outbursts between both teams and their staff.
When the referee blew the full-time whistle at the end of extra time, a few players from both teams fell to the ground in celebration and heartbreak, but several others were involved in an ugly brawl.
In what has now become a viral video, Spanish star Lamine Yamal is seen going down on his knees and raising his hands in a prayer of thanks while multiple fights break out in the background, with Argentinian players physically attacking their Spanish opponents.
Argentina defender Leandro Paredes shoved Spain’s Eric Garcia by the throat, and when Spanish substitute player Gavi jumped in to intervene, Paredes pushed him to the ground.
The 2022 champions’ coach Lionel Scaloni rushed to the scene and separated Paredes from the two players, only for the number five to push more Spanish players before he was physically pulled back by a teammate.
While a few players from both sides greeted each other after the match – most noticeably, there was a warm embrace between Yamal and Argentine captain Lionel Messi – the overall atmosphere remained bitter between the two finalists.
As the post-match ceremony stage was being set up, Spain’s players formed a guard of honour for the runners-up and applauded the Argentinian players when they walked up to receive their silver medals.
However, Argentina did not return the favour and instead turned their backs on the newly crowned champions as they were handed gold medals and the famous winners’ trophy.
It is unclear when FIFA’s probe into the incident will conclude and whether any action will be taken against the players.
Last week, FIFA said it was investigating Argentinian players’ display of a political banner after their World Cup semifinal victory over England, a move that violated its stadium code of conduct and struck a nerve in the United Kingdom over the political sovereignty of the Falkland Islands, a self-governing British overseas territory off the coast of Argentina.
Defender Lisandro Martinez and unused substitute Giovani Lo Celso held up a banner reading “Las Malvinas son Argentinas”, meaning “The Falklands are Argentinian”, as they celebrated the win on the pitch, grinning and waving to fans in the stands after securing a dramatic comeback win on Wednesday.
The move sparked a row in the UK, where top government officials urged FIFA to investigate the matter and the global governing body confirmed it had launched a probe as a “standard procedure”.
“FIFA’s independent disciplinary committee is currently assessing the match reports and considering the relevant circumstances before deciding on potential further steps based on the FIFA disciplinary code,” a FIFA spokesperson told Al Jazeera on Thursday.
FIFA has not provided an update on the probe.
