Argentina’s Leandro Paredes issues response after sparking ‘disgraceful’ World Cup final brawl

Having beaten England in the semi-final, Argentina went on to lose to Spain in Sunday’s (19 July) final while we all hate-watched.

But they certainly went out fighting shall we say, as an ugly brawl broke out following the match.

FIFA is reportedly investigating the ‘violent conduct’ after Leandro Paredes allegedly grabbed the throat of Spanish defender Eric Garcia.

And now the Argentinian has spoken out, reflecting on his World Cup journey that ended in the ‘disgraceful’ scenes. Despite this, the midfielder said he’s full of ‘pride’ and said it’s the ‘best’ team the country has ever had.

His post follows the likes of Enzo Fernandez, who received a red card during the final and also called it an ‘honour’ to play for his country.

'A lot of pain in the soul'

Earlier this morning, Paredes posted a carousel of images from his time in the World Cup, with the first pic showing him passing the trophy as he received his second place medal.

Having played in the Argentina’s 2022 winning tournament, he also included images of fans and tackles – such as one on Jude Bellingham.

But while the brawl at the end of this year’s final may have become one of his most famous moments, Paredes appears to have dodged mentioning this in his post.

“THANK YOU ARGENTINA !!! I LOVE YOU TODAY AND ALWAYS,” he wrote in the Instagram caption.

“Today it's time to write with a lot of pain in the soul for not having been able to give them that joy that our country so deserves, but with the chest full of pride for giving everything we had and leaving our flag again on the highest!

“Thanks to everyone who was part of this selection, to this group of players who gave their lives to represent this shirt as it did until the last second of each game!

“It was an honour to be part of the best Argentinian national team in history!!”

Will Argentina be punished?

According to The Times, FIFA is set to open disciplinary proceedings into incident, with the role of other players and officials also set to be investigated.

Footage after full-time appeared to show him as one of the worst aggressors as he not only allegedly assaulted Garcia but also his teammate Gavi, who was reportedly thrown to the ground by the Argentinian.

“Following an assessment of the relevant match reports for the FIFA World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, and in line with article 36 of the FIFA disciplinary code (FDC), the FIFA disciplinary committee has appointed a disciplinary and ethics prosecutor to investigate potential breaches of the FDC with regard to the post-match incidents,” a FIFA statement read.

“Further details will be communicated by the FIFA disciplinary committee once the prosecutor’s report has been completed.”

Where is the next World Cup?

Morocco, Portugal and defending champions Spain will co-host the FIFA World Cup in 2030, marking the football tournament’s 100th anniversary.

It’s set to run from 8 June 2030 to 21 July 2030, making it the longest World Cup in history at 44 days.

FIFA also announced that three separate matches will take place in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, as a tribute to the first-ever World Cup back in 1930.

All six host nations will automatically qualify, which means we'll definitely be seeing Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay in at least the group stages.

In Spain, matches will take place in Barcelona, Bilbao, Las Palmas, Madrid, San Sebastian, Seville, Valencia, Vigo and Zaragoza.

In Portugal, stadiums in Lisbon and Porto have been earmarked, while the games in Morocco will be played in Agadir, Casablanca, Fez, Marrakesh, Rabat and Tangier.

Plus the three special opening centenary games will be played at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, Argentina; the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo, Uruguay; and the Estadio Osvaldo Dominguez Dibb in Asuncion, Paraguay.