The Spain national team embroidered this Sunday the second star on their shield after defeating Argentina (1-0) in the final of the 2026 World Cup, which ended in a violent fight between several players from both teams. Leandro Paredes assaulted Eric García and then Gavi, but the brawl originated from a punch that Nahuel Molina gave to Rodri Hernández amid the celebrations.
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The origin of the fight
After the whistle from Slovenian referee Slavko Vinčić, a violent brawl broke out between several Spanish and Argentine players on the field, but a video that surfaced after the final revealed the origin of the conflict.
At the moment the referee ended the match, the players of the Spain national team ran to one side of the field. Rodri Hernández, who was substituted in extra time, rushed out from the bench to celebrate with his teammates, but on the way Nahuel Molina hit him.
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The Argentine right-back, who was partly responsible for Ferran Torres‘ goal by losing his back to Nico Williams, punched Rodri in the chest as he passed by. The captain of Spain, who minutes later lifted the World Cup, confronted him and that’s where the conflict arose.
Leandro Paredes lost control
Molina went at Rodri amid the dispute and tried to assault him once more. Then Eric García appeared to defend his captain and later, while the linesman tried to calm things down, Leandro Paredes came up behind the Barcelona defender and threw him to the ground with a kick and a push.
Eric García got up and said something to Paredes’s face, who reacted badly again, grabbed him by the neck, and tried to choke him, which sparked the anger of several players and the intervention of Lionel Scaloni.
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Gavi appeared on the scene and went at Paredes. He tried to assault his teammate’s defender. Thiago Almada tried to calm the young Spanish midfielder, but tackled him to the ground in front of Walter Samuel, Argentina’s assistant coach.
While on the ground, Paredes started to assault Gavi and had to be stopped by his coach Scaloni, who appeared to calm things down and prevent the brawl from escalating.
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