The Argentine midfielder has again been at the centre of controversy while in action for Boca Juniors.12:37, 03 Aug 2026Updated 12:37, 03 Aug 2026Argentina international Leandro Paredes has again caused an uproar after appearing to kick the ball at an opponent. The midfielder was at the centre of controversy in a hostile end to the World Cup final vs Spain.‌After the full-time whistle of Spain’s 1-0 extra-time win over Argentina, Paredes was involved in an incident in which he confronted opposition players. TV footage appears to show him throwing punches towards Gavi and throwing him to the ground.‌It was claimed at the time that the 32-year-old was shown a red card for the incident, but that has not appeared on FIFA’s website. It has, however, been confirmed that he has been charged by the governing body for the unsavoury scenes and faces a potential ban.‌JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! Latest news, analysis and much more on Mirror Football's Facebook pageParades is now back with his club Boco Juniors, with the Argentine league season at the mid-point. He played 14 minutes of the league game vs Central Cordoba on Sunday, despite the short amount of time, he was still involved in controversy.A clip shared on social media appears to show Paredes kicking the ball straight at an opponent just as he got to his feet after a foul. There is some argument as to whether it was deliberate or just the midfielder trying to clear the ball.‌The incident caused a stir on social media, with some fans clear. “This guy should be sanctioned by @FIFAcom He is a cancer in football,” one said. “He kills the game as we know it. Remove this man.”A second added: “He needs to be banned from football for a couple of months. Disgusting player.”‌“Genuinely top 2 most dislikable footballers all time lmao and then Argentinians play victim to people hating them when it’s fully deserved,” a third said. A fourth added: “Proper thug this guy. Needs banning.”A second clip from the game emerged that showed Paraedes reacting towards the referee when not given a foul. “He doesn't like it when the same thing is done to him, so he can see how many players he's done the same to, and he doesn't like a taste of his own medicine,” another fan said.There were, however, some supporters defending him for the first incident.‌“The ref hadn't blown the whistle yet. The ball was in play he cleared the ball,” one said. “The player went down and came back up immediately. This is being blown out of proportion imo.”A second added: “If you watch the video with audio, it’s clear that he cleared the ball before the whistle was blown.”Paredes has not yet addressed the melee after the World Cup final. Instead, in the days after the game, he took to social media to send a message.‌"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,” he wrote."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.Article continues below"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."