{"id":812480,"date":"2026-07-20T15:34:22","date_gmt":"2026-07-20T15:34:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/812480\/"},"modified":"2026-07-20T15:34:22","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T15:34:22","slug":"how-argentina-turned-the-world-cup-final-dirty-with-shoves-skulduggery-and-squealing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/812480\/","title":{"rendered":"How Argentina turned the World Cup final dirty with shoves, skulduggery and squealing"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you were hoping to finish this World Cup with a free-flowing game full of great football, endless attacking and loads of goals, you should have made Saturday\u2019s third-place play-off<\/a> your last match to watch.<\/p>\n

Spain versus Argentina in the final 24 hours later was never going to be a purists\u2019 classic, but what unfolded was undoubtedly the dirtiest final since 2010, when the Spanish also faced aggressive, uncompromising opponents \u2014 the Netherlands.<\/p>\n

Football won that day, with Spain edging it in extra time via the game\u2019s only goal, and the same happened here.<\/p>\n

But just how dirty was the 2026 World Cup final? We\u2019ve picked out the most niggly moments.<\/p>\n

President Donald Trump booed at World Cup final | World Cup Daily Briefing <\/p>\n

Megan Feringa and Laura Williamson<\/p>\n

It was the 14th minute when the skulduggery began in earnest with a rugged Argentina foul.<\/p>\n

Alexis Mac Allister went in hard on Dani Olmo; an uncompromising, flying challenge that left the Spaniard in a heap on the floor (after a few rolls for dramatic effect).<\/p>\n

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Was Alexis Mac Allister fortunate to escape a booking for his challenge on Dani Olmo? pic.twitter.com\/N6frMjYuP7<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) July 19, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

A few minutes later, Nicolas Tagliafico attempted to drag Lamine Yamal to the turf while also seeming to attempt to jump into an invisible bobsled, before going for the more conventional approach of clipping the Spaniard\u2019s heels. All in all, it was quite a feat of human engineering.<\/p>\n

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It was also a feat of patient refereeing that Slavko Vincic didn\u2019t produce a yellow card.<\/p>\n

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The Athletic\u2019s refereeing expert Graham Scott said: \u201cTagliafico could have received a yellow card for persistent infringement for a single foul when he brought down Yamal.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was an untidy and clumsy challenge to say the least, and was undeniably deliberate.\u201d<\/p>\n

The first booking was handed out in the 41st minute and \u2014 set your faces to stunned \u2013 it was shown to an Argentina player.<\/p>\n

Mikel Oyarzabal attempted to wriggle free of Lisandro Martinez to launch a counter-attack, but Martinez wasn\u2019t having any of that.<\/p>\n

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He started by grabbing Oyarzabal by the waist and then, when that didn\u2019t work, scythed into him from behind with a flying two-footed foul. They used to call it the gentleman\u2019s game.<\/p>\n

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Leandro Paredes entered the fray at half-time and clearly felt the s***housery levels over the opening 45 minutes weren\u2019t of Argentina\u2019s required standard.<\/p>\n

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He elbowed Rodri in the back and earned a yellow card (also sparking a melee which included Olmo being pushed over)\u2026<\/p>\n

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\u2026 albeit Rodri\u2019s theatrical dive was utterly pathetic and should have seen him stripped of the Golden Ball he would win later on<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Just to balance things out a bit, we thought we\u2019d include a Spain foul.<\/p>\n

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Aymeric Laporte had no intention of letting Lionel Messi get by him after the little genius laid off a pass and headed towards the Spain penalty area. That cannot be allowed.<\/p>\n

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With Messi lying flat on his back, the Argentina bench took it well.<\/p>\n

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Enzo Fernandez had been booked for dissent in the 82nd minute, for a typically calm, understated reaction to not being given a free kick after a feather touch from Rodri.<\/p>\n

Eleven minutes later, he became the sixth footballer (and, believe it or not, the third Argentinian) to be sent off in a World Cup final.<\/p>\n

He couldn\u2019t say it wasn\u2019t deserved, for a late, dangerous studs-down clip of Pau Cubarsi\u2019s boot as the Spanish youngster won a loose ball.<\/p>\n

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The resulting Cubarsi somersault was spectacular but fortunately for the young player of the tournament, he avoided injury.<\/p>\n

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Perhaps no incident could sum up Argentina\u2019s, well, industrial approach to Sunday\u2019s game more than the greatest footballer of all time being reduced to squealing to the referee for a red card because Marc Cucurella covered his mouth during a discussion after Fernandez was sent off.<\/p>\n

In the wake of Enzo Fernandez’s red card, Lionel Messi was spotted trying to tell the referee that Marc Cucurella covered his mouth to say something, and should be sent off.<\/p>\n

Argentina are down to 10 and they are intent on also making Spain a player light.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udd17\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/mI4V2yvDk9<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) July 19, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Substitute Facundo Medina was in no rush to take a throw-in during extra time (as is his want), despite Yamal giving him some encouragement.<\/p>\n

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Medina took his time\u2026.<\/p>\n

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\u2026 while in the background, a shove from Ferran Torres saw an Argentina player drop to the floor.<\/p>\n

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If you thought Argentina were going to be great losers, taking their defeat in excellent spirits and offering handshakes, backslaps and congratulations to their opponents, you don\u2019t know this Argentina.<\/p>\n

Their head coach Lionel Scaloni rushed onto the field to try to break up a scuffle. Paredes didn\u2019t listen, electing instead to push Eric Garcia in the throat.<\/p>\n

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To his credit, Garcia didn\u2019t react, but the incident led to another melee.<\/p>\n

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At least when all was said and done, Argentina sportingly applauded Spain as the victors lifted the trophy. No, wait, they just turned their backs instead.<\/p>\n

To be fair to them, they were consistent. Consistently skulduggerous.<\/p>\n