Spain had just won the World Cup.

After 120 exhausting minutes, Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal in extra time, ending Argentina’s title defense and sending the Spanish players racing onto the field in celebration.

Then the final descended into a brawl.

Punches were reportedly thrown. Players shoved one another. Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes appeared to grab Spain defender Eric García by the throat before wrestling Gavi to the ground.

Coaches and substitutes rushed into the confrontation as one of football’s greatest stages dissolved into anger, retaliation and scenes that immediately drew condemnation around the world.

Spain secured the 1-0 victory in the 106th minute through Torres, surviving a tense and physical final at New York/New Jersey Stadium.

Argentina had already been reduced to 10 men late in extra time after Enzo Fernández received a second yellow card for a foul on Pau Cubarsí.

But the ugliest moments arrived after the referee ended the match.

As Spain’s substitutes ran onto the pitch to celebrate, Argentina defender Nahuel Molina appeared to strike or shove Spanish captain Rodri in the chest, according to footage aired by the BBC’s Match of the Day.

The two players squared up.

Rodri then shoved Molina in return.

What began as one confrontation quickly spread.

Molina reportedly bumped Rodri again, prompting García to intervene. Paredes then approached the Spanish defender and appeared to shove him around the throat.

Players from both sides rushed toward the scene.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni attempted to separate García from the confrontation, but another dispute was already unfolding nearby between Gavi and Argentina’s Thiago Almada.

Paredes then grabbed Gavi and forced him to the ground, according to widely circulated footage.

The 21-year-old Spaniard’s teammates immediately moved to defend him.

Paredes had already been booked during the match. He received another yellow card for his role in the post-match melee and was shown a red card.

The punishment came too late to affect the result, but it added another disgraceful image to Argentina’s final moments as defending world champions.

Further footage reportedly appeared to show Argentina assistant coach Daniel Ayala striking Spain midfielder Dani Olmo.

That allegation was based on video interpretation and reporting from The Independent. Any potential disciplinary finding would require formal review by FIFA.

The disorder continued even after officials separated the players.

Argentina’s squad reportedly refused to watch Spain lift the trophy.

Despite Spain forming a guard of honor as the runners-up collected their silver medals, several Argentine players turned their backs during the champions’ celebration.

The gesture intensified criticism of a team already accused of losing control in defeat.

Former England defender Gary Neville reportedly called Argentina a “disgrace.”

Former goalkeeper Joe Hart described the behavior as “disgusting.”

Former Germany and Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos offered a simpler verdict:

“Football won.”

The criticism reflected the contrast between Argentina’s status and its reaction.

The team entered the final as defending champions, having defeated France in the 2022 final. It carried the experience of players who had already reached the sport’s highest summit.

But after falling short against Spain, frustration overwhelmed discipline.

The match itself had been tense and fiercely contested.

Both sides struggled to create a breakthrough during regulation time. Tackles grew heavier, emotions intensified and the possibility of penalties moved closer with every minute.

Then Torres struck.

His extra-time goal gave Spain the lead and placed Argentina under enormous pressure with little time remaining.

Fernández’s dismissal made the comeback even more difficult.

When the whistle finally sounded, Spain celebrated one of the greatest victories in its football history.

Argentina appeared unable to accept that the title was gone.

Paredes’ involvement became the central image of the confrontation.

Video appeared to show him moving aggressively between separate disputes, first confronting García and then dragging Gavi down.

His actions may now expose him to further disciplinary measures beyond the red card, depending on FIFA’s review.

Other players and staff members could also face scrutiny if footage confirms violent conduct after the match.

Molina’s clash with Rodri, Ayala’s reported strike and the conduct of both benches are likely to be examined.

World Cup finals carry enormous emotional pressure.

For some players, they represent the only chance they will ever receive to become world champions.

But that pressure does not excuse violence.

Players are expected to compete fiercely and accept defeat without attacking opponents once the match is over.

The chaotic scenes threatened to overshadow Spain’s triumph.

Instead of focusing only on Torres’ winning goal, Spain’s defensive resilience and the team’s path to the trophy, much of the post-match conversation turned toward Argentina’s conduct.

That may prove especially painful for Lionel Messi.

The 39-year-old reportedly showed restraint amid the disorder, shaking hands with Spanish players and displaying what Hart described as “class.”

Messi was seen in tears after what may have been his final World Cup appearance.

He became only the third male player to appear in three World Cup finals, following Argentina’s defeat to Germany in 2014 and victory over France in 2022.

The next tournament will take place in 2030, when Messi will be 43.

Whether he participates remains uncertain, but Sunday’s match may have marked the end of his World Cup career.

If so, it ended with a painful contrast.

Messi accepted defeat.

Several of his teammates did not.

Scaloni also struggled with the emotion of the loss.

The Argentina manager reportedly left his post-match news conference in tears amid renewed speculation about his future.

“It’s really painful,” he told reporters. “I am very sorry.”

His words captured the devastation of losing a final decided by a single goal.

But the apology may also have reflected the behavior that followed.

Argentina had every right to be heartbroken.

It had no right to turn that heartbreak into violence.

Spain’s players eventually lifted the trophy beneath a storm of confetti, celebrating after surviving both the match and the chaos that followed it.

Their victory will be remembered for Torres’ dramatic goal.

The final may be remembered for something darker.

A World Cup champion was crowned.

Then, before the trophy was even raised, football’s greatest stage became the scene of a fight.