Tensions boiled over early in the second half of Sunday's World Cup final, resulting in a second yellow card for Argentina's Leandro Paredes.
Tensions rise between Argentina and Spain players early in the second half pic.twitter.com/eJ8JsyBnCS
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 19, 2026
Argentina's physical play was on full display early in the second half, as tensions boiled over and Paredes shoved an unsuspecting Rodri in the back, sending the Spanish midfielder flailing to the turf away from the ball.
A handful of Argentinian players attempted to stand over Rodri as he remained on the turf as Spanish players blocked their path. Paredes ran in to join the scrum and delivered more shoves to multiple Spanish players.
Referee Slavko Vinčić finally determined that Paredes had crossed the line, showing him a yellow card. This was the second yellow card of the day for Argentina, following Lisandro Martínez's earlier caution in the first half for tripping Mikel Oyarzabal on a challenge.
Lisandro Martínez is shown a yellow card for this challenge 🟨 pic.twitter.com/BawIGuQXkn
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 19, 2026
Argentina entered Sunday's match with a reputation for physical play that bordered on dirty. Its play with the World Cup trophy at stake did nothing to dispel that notion.
The yellow cards handed out to Argentina's players will likely come under scrutiny in the coming days, as the team looks to bounce back from this setback and secure the World Cup title.
The match remains scoreless as of now, with the tension between the two teams still palpable.
Source: Yahoo Sports