Man, if you thought the World Cup final was wild enough with Spain snatching that 1-0 victory against Argentina in extra time, you missed the real fireworks. Seconds after Ferran Torres sealed the deal in New Jersey, the pitch exploded into an all-out post-match brawl. But get this: Spain midfielder Gavi, who got absolutely chucked to the ground by Argentina’s Leandro Paredes in that shocking fracas, is actually saying Paredes shouldn’t get suspended! You read that right.
Absolute Chaos After the Whistle Blew
The final whistle had barely sounded when the whole thing just blew up. Argentina’s Nahuel Molina appeared to spark the chaotic melee by striking Spain captain Rodri as he ran across to celebrate with his teammates. That’s how it started! Then you had Leandro Paredes, an Argentina midfielder, getting right into the thick of it. He grabbed Spain’s Eric Garcia by the throat, then literally hurled Gavi to the ground by his bib. Seriously, he went down! And it wasn’t just players. Argentina coach Roberto Ayala even got in on the action, appearing to punch Dani Olmo in the face. It was pure madness, a total free-for-all right there on the field after the biggest game in football. Honestly, you gotta wonder what was going through their heads, especially after Argentina already had Enzo Fernandez sent off in second-half injury time for a wild challenge on Pau Cubarsi. Tensions were clearly at an all-time high, and it boiled over big time.
No Ban? Gavi’s Wild Take on What Happened Next
So, after all that, you’d expect Gavi to be screaming for a lifetime ban, right? Nope. He told El Partidazo de COPE that he doesn’t think Paredes should be suspended at all. Can you believe it? Gavi admitted, “I understand it’s not a good image for children,” which, yeah, no kidding! But then he added, “I think there’s also that side to football, which is a bit more physical, more aggressive.” He even said, “The most logical thing would have been to send him off during the match, and that’s it. In the end, I think it’s all football, and it has to be that way.” What a take! Initial TV reports even said Paredes was dismissed for his part, but FIFA later confirmed that wasn’t the case; no red card was shown on the field.
But while Gavi might be brushing it off as “just football,” FIFA is definitely not. The world’s governing body announced Monday evening that its disciplinary committee has already appointed a disciplinary and ethics prosecutor. They’re investigating possible breaches of the FIFA disciplinary code from that incident. So, even with Gavi’s wild take, the stakes are super high for Paredes. We’ll have to wait and see if he gets away clean, or if FIFA decides to drop the hammer after that insane post-final brawl.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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