‘It’s embarrassing’: Argentina’s World Cup final under new scrutiny after viral clip emerges

Argentina players protest after Argentina’s Enzo Fernandez (24) received a red card (AP Photo) Argentina’s World Cup final defeat to Spain has come under renewed scrutiny after new footage emerged on social media that appears to show an attempt to influence the aftermath of Enzo Fernandez’s decisive red card.Lionel Scaloni’s side lost 1-0 after extra time at the New York New Jersey Stadium as Ferran Torres scored in the 106th minute to hand Spain their second World Cup title. However, much of the post-match discussion focused on Argentina’s behavior during and after the final.The latest clip focuses on the incident in which Fernandez was sent off in the second half. Just days after scoring the winner against England in the semi-final, the Chelsea midfielder endured a frustrating evening when he was shown a second yellow card in the 93rd minute for a late challenge on Spain defender Pau Cubarsi.Fernandez immediately protested the decision, but records showed the tackle left no doubt about the referee’s call.Fresh footage circulating online has added another layer to the controversy. The video appears to show Argentina full-back Nicolas Tagliafico standing unobstructed near Spain’s penalty area before suddenly grabbing his ankle and falling to the ground moments after Fernandez was fouled. A few seconds earlier, Tagliafico was walking normally, there was no Spain player in close proximity.The same footage also shows Lionel Messi rushing towards referee Slavko Vincic immediately after being shown a red card. The Argentina captain pointed to the grounded Tagliafico and appeared to be trying to draw the referee’s attention to the incident. Although any stoppage for Tagliafico would have little bearing on the result, Argentina appeared hopeful it might prompt the officials to reconsider the sequence that led to Fernandez’s dismissal.The effort had no effect, Fernandez’s red card stood and Argentina were forced to see out the rest of the match with 10 men.Scaloni initially changed his side by asking Julian Alvarez to drop deeper to help cover the numerical disadvantage. As Spain continued to dominate possession and territory, the Argentina coach eventually introduced another defender, leaving Messi increasingly isolated in attack.Spain’s pressure was rewarded early in extra time when substitute Ferran Torres found the net in the 106th minute to seal a historic World Cup triumph.As the final whistle blew, tempers flared. Nahuel Molina appeared to punch Spain captain Rodri in the torso during the celebrations, while Leandro Paredes grabbed Eric Garcia by the neck before knocking Gavi to the ground, sparking a heated confrontation between players from both teams.The ugly scenes drew strong criticism from former England defender Micah Richards, who questioned Argentina’s behavior after the defeat.“It’s embarrassing. They were on top every time. To see things like that after the game is played, it’s not good, it’s embarrassing to be honest. Paredes is better than this. We all know what it’s like to lose a game, but this is not enough.”Former England captain Wayne Rooney also criticized Argentina’s response, saying the behavior reflected frustration after coming second best on the night.“We’ve already seen it from Argentina. It’s sad, very poor from them. If you lose a football match, be graceful. It’s a reaction to being outclassed. Enzo Fernandez has what he deserves.”