Argentina were labelled “classless” after their players turned their backs while Spain lifted the World Cup trophy following a fractious final that descended into carnage.
The Argentine squad lost their composure when the final whistle sounded as violence broke out, leaving fans in the stadium and social media shocked. Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in a closely contested final which went to extra time. It was a match which had everything with Enzo Fernández getting a red card and plenty of players getting yellow cards.
Speaking about this incident on talkSPORT, Pearce said, “When Spain were about to lift their trophy, the Argentinians, to a man, all stood with their back to the trophy lift. “That probably tells you a great deal, doesn’t it?”
Presenter Adrian Durham said, “Yeah, no class, whatsoever. They’ve been absolutely shocking. They’ve been a total disgrace here today. The fans, we think have been brilliant.
Soon after this incident, pictures and videos went viral on social media with fans calling Argentina players as ‘sore losers’ and many people were not pleased with this conduct. Immediately after the final whistle, Argentina player Padres was involved in an incident.
Social Media Divided Over Argentina Players’ Post-Final Behavior
Social media was flooded with reactions after videos from the World Cup final medal ceremony appeared to show some Argentina players skipping handshakes while collecting their runners-up medals. Many fans called the behavior “disrespectful” and “classless,” arguing that defeat should be accepted with grace.
A section of the media also defended the players, saying emotions were understandably high after losing a heartbreaking World Cup final in extra time. Some users also pointed out that not every player appeared to ignore the handshake and urged people not to judge the entire squad based on a few clips. This incident quickly became one of the most discussed moments after the final, with thousands of posts on X debating sportsmanship, emotions, and whether the criticism was justified.