Argentina Lost More Than The World Cup Final. It Lost Its Class And Decorum

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — This summer’s World Cup will beryllium remembered for a batch of things.

It was nan first to beryllium played successful 3 countries, nan first pinch 48 teams and nan wide attendance astir doubled nan erstwhile record. Norway’s Erling Haaland and Cape Verde’s Vozinha were captivating while Egypt and Canada some won World Cup games for nan first time, advancing to nan Round of 16.

And Spain, glorious Spain, gave up conscionable 1 extremity successful 8 games to dethrone nan reigning champions and go nan first federation successful history to ain some nan men’s and women’s World Cup titles astatine nan aforesaid time.

But nan tourney will besides beryllium remembered for a classless and churlish Argentina, which everlastingly stained itself pinch a thuggish capacity successful nan crippled and an ungracious 1 afterward.

If La Albiceleste had simply kept its composure it would person secured a spot adjacent to Brazil and Germany, nan only different countries to scope 3 finals successful 4 World Cups, arsenic 1 of nan top teams of each time. Instead, immoderate of its players turned nan postgame handshakes into a brawl, pinch Argentine midfielder Leandro Paredes drafting a reddish paper for grabbing Spain’s Eric Garcia by nan pharynx and shoving him to nan turf.

It was believed to beryllium nan only reddish paper ever handed retired after a World Cup final, and nan ignominy it brought was well-deserved. But nan childishness was conscionable beginning. When Spain assembled connected nan podium to judge nan World Cup trophy, which had been Argentina’s moments earlier, nan South Americans turned their backs.

More than an hr later Lionel Messi, who has cemented his stature arsenic nan top subordinate successful World Cup history, soiled that position by starring nan players retired of nan locker room and done a backmost exit to nan squad bus, avoiding nan media galore had been truthful eager to speak pinch during nan team’s unbeaten tally to nan final.

Argentina’s Nahuel Molina, top, reacts aft Spain won nan World Cup last betwixt Spain and Argentina successful East Rutherford, N.J.

(Pamela Smith / Associated Press)

It was an onslaught connected people and decorum arsenic good arsenic usurpation of FIFA rules, which require players to time off nan stadium done a “mixed zone” accessible to media. They are not required to extremity aliases speak, but surely personification owed immoderate accountability to nan tens of thousands of fans successful Argentine jerseys who packed Times Square and MetLife Stadium complete nan play and nan millions successful Argentine who filled plazas and municipality squares to watch nan squad play.

“We’ve been awesome successful triumph and we request to beryllium awesome successful defeat,” Argentine coach Lionel Scaloni said moments aft Paredes was booked for assault. “We person shown coming that we cognize really to lose, too. We mislaid nan crippled and we judge that.”

Scaloni, who did reside nan media, later collapsed down successful tears.

“I already cried each nan tears I had successful nan dressing room,” he said successful Spanish.

Scaloni, 48, whitethorn beryllium retired of a occupation erstwhile his statement expires successful December, but his connection for nan fans was don’t outcry for me, Argentina.

“It is difficult to inquire group to bask this equally. It is very difficult to person group that this is simply a triumph,” said Scaloni, who has mislaid conscionable doubly successful 15 World Cup games.

“When you win, not everything is good. When you lose, not everything is bad.”

But while Argentina was being petty and petulant, Spain was practically cleanable successful each way. Not only did it concede conscionable 1 extremity successful nan tournament, it held Argentina without a shot into other clip Sunday — nan first clip that’s ever happened successful a World Cup last — and ran its unbeaten streak to a grounds 38 games overall.

The win, which came connected substitute Ferran Torres’ extremity moments into nan 2nd extra-time play — and little than 20 minutes aft Argentina was reduced to 10 men erstwhile Enzo Fernández was fixed a 2nd yellowish paper for a foolish tackle — not only made Spain nan first state to beryllium nan men’s and women’s world champion astatine nan aforesaid time, it besides made it nan first to beryllium nan men’s world, European and Olympic champion astatine nan aforesaid time.

No state successful history has dominated nan athletics arsenic Spain is dominating it now. And since Spain is nan second-youngest squad to triumph nan World Cup successful 56 years, La Roja could beryllium connected apical for immoderate time.

“After nan match, immoderate of nan players who person been pinch america nan longest asked maine ‘coach, what is near for america win? We’ve won everything,’” said Spain’s head Luis de la Fuente. “I told them, good nan adjacent lucifer successful September.”

That’s a UEFA Nations League lucifer pinch England, which finished 3rd successful this World Cup. A small further down nan roadworthy is nan 2030 World Cup, which Spain will co-host, making it nan first state successful history to take sides its title astatine home.

“When you get astatine a infinitesimal for illustration coming and deliberation astir nan travel we’ve taken, you recognize nan value of that process,” said De la Fuente, a erstwhile younker nationalist squad coach who managed galore of nan players connected nan World Cup squad — among them Dani Olmo, Mikel Merino, Mikel Oyarzabal, Unai Simón, nan tournament’s apical goalkeeper, and Rodri, tournament’s apical subordinate — to U-19 and U-21 European titles.

“We surely wouldn’t beryllium present coming — we wouldn’t person achieved thing — without nan travel we’ve shared pinch these players,” nan coach continued. “We person that earthy material, those awesome Spanish footballers. And they measurement they compete, that is what brought america here.

“That goes backmost galore years.”

De la Fuente, soft-spoken and professorial, is besides scrupulously polite, an illustration galore of his players follow. And while it is undoubtedly easier to show grace and dignity successful triumph than it is successful defeat, nan quality successful nan measurement Argentina and Spain exited nan World Cup was acold greater than nan spread that separated them connected nan scoreboard, thing De la Fuente unwittingly highlighted successful speaking astir his squad precocious Sunday.

“It seems group were amazed that, alongside talent and brilliance, bully group tin besides play nan game,” he said. “This proves that it is possible; that good, supportive, generous group pinch beardown values tin shape a genuine team.

“We played against nan champion nationalist teams successful nan world, yet we were nan champion team. We demonstrated that a squad built connected bully group — supportive people, group who clasp values and principles that prioritize nan communal bully complete individual interests. Traveling pinch group for illustration that makes for a better, safer journey.”

In Spain’s case, it besides makes a World Cup champion.

Staff writers Eduard Cauich and Jad El Reda contributed to this story.