On July 22, according to the Post, Argentine player Tagliafico dived during the World Cup final in an attempt to distract the referee and prevent Enzo Fernandez from being sent off.
A video shows Argentina attempting a clumsy attempt to trick the referee into overturning his red card against Enzo Fernandez in the World Cup final. The Chelsea midfielder was sent off in the 93rd minute after receiving his second yellow card for a foul on Spanish defender Koubas. Fernandez protested vehemently, but referee Slavko Vencic's decision was largely uncontroversial. Koubas flew through the air after the foul.
New footage from a new angle has now surfaced, showing that Tagliafico feigned injury seconds after Enzo Fernandez collided with Cubasi, attempting to save the 25-year-old from being sent off. The full-back was walking normally until he saw his teammate lose control, then immediately fell to the ground, clutching his leg. Messi then rushed towards the referee without hesitation, pointing at Tagliafico despite a red card already being shown, attempting a final desperate attempt to prevent Argentina from playing with ten men before extra time.
This desperate tactic failed to change Vengic's decision; no amount of pretense could prevent Enzo Fernandez's early departure. His dismissal sealed a dismal 90 minutes for the 2022 champions—Argentina failed to register a single shot, while Spain had 15. Argentina ultimately succumbed in extra time, with Ferran Torres scoring the winning goal in the 106th minute to give Spain their second star.
Argentina's ugly behavior escalated further after the final whistle. Paredes—who narrowly escaped being sent off in the final—sparked a massive brawl during Spain's celebrations. Enraged by the defeat, the midfielder was seen grabbing Eric Garcia by the throat before shoving Gave to the ground and swinging his arms. Molina also punched Rodri in the stomach during a run, and Thiago Almada was also drawn into the conflict.
Micah Richards commented on a British media program: "It's embarrassing. They were always testing the limits. Seeing that after the game was really bad, frankly shameful. Paredes shouldn't have acted like that. We all know what it feels like to lose, but this is just awful." Hoe considered Argentina's post-match behavior "disgusting," while pointing out that Messi was the only player who showed "manners." Rooney, however, wasn't surprised, saying: "We've seen Argentina like this before. It's pathetic, they played terribly. If you lose, you should have manners. This was their reaction after being pressured. Enzo Fernandez deserved it."
