Argentina star Leandro Paredes has spoken out following his violent outburst after the World Cup final against Spain where he appeared to attack some of the victors09:45, 21 Jul 2026Updated 10:21, 21 Jul 2026Argentina star Leandro Paredes, who violently attacked Spain's stars following the World Cup final, has boldly chosen to not apologise for his actions. The midfielder has instead expressed pride in his side's efforts during the tournament in his first statement following the incident‌Paredes was spotted kicking and punching as he shoved Eric Garcia to the ground and grappled with Gavi, interrupting Spain's celebrations. Nauel Molina appeared to instigate the violent altercation by throwing a punch at Manchester City star Rodri.‌During the post-match drama, it was claimed that Paredes was shown a red card for his actions. However, the red card was removed from the record, and FIFA took no disciplinary action, according to BBC Sport.‌No apology was forthcoming in Paredes first public words following the chaos.Paredes wrote: "Thank you, Argentina! I love you today and always. Today, I write with a heavy heart, having been unable to bring our country the joy it so richly deserves."But with a chest full of pride for having given everything we had and for flying our flag at the very top once again! Thank you to everyone who was part of this national team.‌"To this group of players who gave their all to represent this jersey, fighting for it until the very last second of every match! It was an honour to be part of the best Argentine national team in history."While a red card is not on record, FIFA have confirmed that they will investigate what took place.‌JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! Latest news, analysis and much more on Mirror Football's Facebook pageA statement read: ”Following an assessment of the relevant match reports for the FIFA World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, and in line with article 36 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code (FDC), the FIFA Disciplinary Committee has appointed a Disciplinary and Ethics Prosecutor to investigate potential breaches of the FDC with regard to the post-match incidents."While on BBC's commentary for the final, Alan Shearer said: "Paredes threw two or three haymakers into someone's face. He went for them. There is no place or space for that.‌"We know how much it means to them and we know how much it hurts to lose, but there is a way to lose. Too many times we have seen that from Argentina. The reaction after the final whistle is terrible."Content cannot be displayed without consentWhile fellow pundit Joe Hart added: "The game's done, they can have absolutely no complaints about what happened today. Disgusting behaviour."‌However, Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni bizarrely suggested his team 'knew how to lose', when speaking after the final. "We are gracious in victory, and we must be gracious in defeat," he said."Today, we are showing that we know how to lose. We lost the match, and we accept it, but that doesn't mean we stop living or forget everything we did to get here."Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.Article continues below