If you were hoping to finish the World Cup with a free-flowing game full of great football, endless attacking and loads of goals, you should have made the third-place play-off your last match to watch.
Spain versus Argentina in the final was never going to be a purists’ classic, but what unfolded was undoubtedly the dirtiest final since 2010, when Spain were again faced with an aggressive, uncompromising opponent in the Netherlands.
Football won that day, with Spain edging it in extra time, and the same happened here.
But just how dirty was the 2026 World Cup final? We’ve picked out the most niggly moments.
It was the 14th minute when the skullduggery began in earnest with a rugged Argentina foul.
Alexis Mac Allister went in hard on Dani Olmo with an uncompromising, flying challenge that left the Spaniard in a heap on the floor (after a few rolls for dramatic effect).
Was Alexis Mac Allister fortunate to escape a booking for his challenge on Dani Olmo? pic.twitter.com/N6frMjYuP7
— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) July 19, 2026
A few minutes later, Nicolas Tagliafico attempted to drag Lamine Yamal to the floor while also seeming to attempt to jump into an invisible bobsled, before going for the more conventional approach of clipping Yamal’s heels. All in all, it was quite a feat of human engineering.
It was also a feat of patient refereeing that Slavko Vincic didn’t produce a yellow card.
The Athletic’s refereeing expert Graham Scott said: “Tagliafico could have received a yellow card for persistent infringement for a single foul when he brought down Yamal.
“It was an untidy and clumsy challenge to say the least and was undeniably deliberate.”
The first booking was handed out in the 41st minute and — set your faces to stunned – it was for an Argentina player.
Mikel Oyarzabal attempted to wriggle free of Lisandro Martinez to launch a counter-attack, but Martinez wasn’t having any of that.
He started by grabbing Oyarzabal by the waist and then, when that didn’t work, scythed into him from behind with a flying two-footed foul. They used to call it the gentleman’s game.
Leandro Paraedes entered the fray at half-time and clearly felt the s***housery levels weren’t of Argentina’s required standard.
He elbowed Rodri in the back and earned a yellow card (also sparking a melee which included Olmo being pushed over)…
… albeit Rodri’s theatrical dive was utterly pathetic and should have seen him stripped of the Golden Ball he would win later on.
Just to balance things out a bit, we thought we’d include a Spain foul.
Aymeric Laporte had no intention of letting Lionel Messi get by him after the little genius laid off a pass and headed towards the Spain penalty area. That cannot be allowed.
With Messi lying flat on his back, the Argentina bench took it well.
Enzo Fernandez had been booked for dissent in the 82nd minute, for a typically calm, understated reaction to not being given a free kick after a feather touch from Rodri.
Eleven minutes later he became the sixth footballer (and, believe it or not, the third Argentine) to be sent off in a World Cup final.
He couldn’t say it wasn’t deserved, for a late, dangerous studs-down clip of Pau Cubarsi’s boot as the Spanish youngster won the loose ball.
The resulting Cubarsi somersault was spectacular but fortunately for the young player of the tournament, he avoided injury.
Perhaps no incident could sum up Argentina’s, well, industrial approach more than the greatest footballer of all time being reduced to squealing to the referee for a red card because Marc Cucurella covered his mouth during a discussion after Fernandez was sent off.
In the wake of Enzo Fernandez’s red card, Lionel Messi was spotted trying to tell the referee that Marc Cucurella covered his mouth to say something, and should be sent off.
Argentina are down to 10 and they are intent on also making Spain a player light.
— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) July 19, 2026
Substitute Facundo Medina was in no rush to take a throw-in during extra time (as is his want), despite Yamal giving him some encouragement.
Medina took his time….
… while in the background a shove from Ferran Torres saw an Argentine player drop to the floor.
If you thought Argentina were going to be great losers, taking their defeat in excellent spirits and offering handshakes, backslaps and congratulations to their opponents, you don’t know this Argentina.
Manager Lionel Scaloni rushed onto the field to try to break up a scuffle. Leandro Paredes didn’t listen, electing instead to push Eric Garcia in the throat.
To his credit, Garcia didn’t react, but the incident led to another melee.
At least when all was said and done, Argentina sportingly applauded Spain as the victors lifted the trophy. No, wait, they just turned their backs instead.
To be fair to them, they were consistent. Consistently skullduggerous.
