Fifa appointed a disciplinary prosecutor to look into the feisty post-match altercation between players following Spain’s 1-0 extra-time win, courtesy of Ferran Torres’ dramatic winner, which saw them dethrone the defending champions.
Spain boss Luis de la Fuente has blasted Argentina’s actions as “intolerable and unacceptable” as Fifa investigate the brawl that broke out following the World Cup final. A FIFA statement said: "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.
"At the time, I didn't realise it. I was celebrating, hugging team-mates," De La Fuente told Spanish television. "But in any case, it is intolerable, unacceptable, it cannot be allowed. "I want to highlight our behaviour in the face of that kind of aggression and provocation. Our players always kept their composure and behaved like true professionals."
De la Fuente also praised the exemplary behaviour of his own players faced with these “acts of aggression” and “provocations” which he believes could have escalated into more serious incidents. The Spain squad stood in a guard of honour for Argentina players walking to the podium to get their medals, but Lionel Scaloni's squad turned their back on the trophy celebration.
Argentina assistant coach Roberto Ayala apologised on Wednesday for his own confrontation with Dani Olmo, which he described as a shove and not a punch. Gavi, meanwhile, said he does not want Paredes to be suspended for his part in the altercation, after it emerged the midfielder did not see red while still on the pitch - as was reported at the time.
Although the scenes were filmed and widely shared on social media, they have not yet resulted in any sanctions against the Argentina players. Fifa have provided no timetable for the investigation into the brawl and it is unclear when any potential bans for Argentina players would apply as the team does not have competitive games scheduled in the coming months.