Published: 12:13 AM, 22 July 2026
FIFA to investigate World Cup final post-match brawl
World football's governing body FIFA has appointed a disciplinary and ethics prosecutor to investigate the post-match brawl that erupted after Spain's 1-0 extra-time victory over Argentina in a chaotic World Cup final.
Tensions boiled over after Spain secured their second World Cup title courtesy of an extra-time winner from winger Ferran Torres. Argentina had already been reduced to 10 men in the 93rd minute of normal time when Enzo Fernandez was sent off for a second yellow card.
At the final whistle, Argentine midfielder Leandro Paredes clashed with several Spanish players, including defender Eric Garcia and midfielder Gavi, triggering a broader brawl between the two sets of players, reports Reuters.
The teams exchanged shoves and had to be physically separated, with Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni trying to calm down the players at the end of the ill-tempered encounter.
No timeframe was given for the conclusion of the investigation.
Last week, FIFA said it was investigating Argentinian players' display of a political banner after their World Cup semifinal victory over England, a move that violated its stadium code of conduct and struck a nerve in the United Kingdom over the political sovereignty of the Falkland Islands, a self-governing British overseas territory off the coast of Argentina.
Defender Lisandro Martinez and unused substitute Giovani Lo Celso held up a banner reading "Las Malvinas son Argentinas", meaning "The Falklands are Argentinian", as they celebrated the win on the pitch, grinning and waving to fans in the stands after securing a dramatic comeback win on Wednesday.
The move sparked a row in the UK, where top government officials urged FIFA to investigate the matter and the global governing body confirmed it had launched a probe as a "standard procedure".
"FIFA's independent disciplinary committee is currently assessing the match reports and considering the relevant circumstances before deciding on potential further steps based on the FIFA disciplinary code," a FIFA spokesperson told Al Jazeera on Thursday.
FIFA has not provided an update on the probe.
