The 2026 FIFA World Cup final between Spain and defending champion Argentina has been over for nearly a week.
On the outskirts of Madrid, amid a sea of flag-waving fans dressed in red, the victorious La Roja presented the 18-carat gold World Cup trophy to the Spanish royal family at the 17th-century La Zarzuela Palace.
The 82,000-seat MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey— home of the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets — has returned to its regular tenants after witnessing Spain winger Ferran Torres score the winning goal in the 106th minute of extra time for a 1-0 victory on Monday.
And Argentine superstar Lionel Messi, greatness personified and adored around the world, returned by private jet to his hometown of Rosario, skipping public appearances to reunite with his family and reflect on what had transpired.
It was over. The celebrations had ended. So, too, had the shouting—or so it seemed.
Sadly, what lingers are the disturbing images of the brawl that erupted immediately after the final whistle, reportedly sparked by Argentina’s Leandro Paredes, moments after La Roja had been crowned world champions.
The ugly scenes spread quickly across traditional and social media: Paredes confronting Eric Garcia before turning his attention to Gavi, who had earlier been felled by a hard tackle from Thiago Almada.
Even an Argentina assistant coach became involved as the confrontation escalated, prompting head coach Lionel Scaloni and several members of his staff to intervene.
That assistant coach – Roberto Ayala – has since apologized for his role in the incident, while FIFA announced it had launched an investigation into the post-match melee, which undeniably tarnished what should have been a memorable World Cup final — a celebration of football and a fitting farewell for the game’s greatest player.
Instead, the headlines were dominated by the fight and by Messi, who lost the coveted World Cup Golden Ball to Spain’s Rodri, speaking of the “immense pain” and the “wound that will take time to heal” in an emotional statement.
Messi also thanked supporters “from the bottom of my heart” and congratulated Spain “on winning the championship.”
A gracious gesture, certainly.
It would have been even more meaningful, however, had “La Pulga” likewise addressed the skirmish and offered some form of apology for the unsportsmanlike conduct of his teammates after the final whistle.
That would have been an act worthy of the Golden Ball.
