Argentina assistant coach Roberto Ayala appeared to lash out at Spain’s Dani Olmo following the World Cup final.
Tempers erupted after Spain edged Argentina 1-0 in extra time in New Jersey to claim the World Cup, with Ferran Torres netting the decisive goal in the 106th minute.
- Jude Bellingham reveals what Lionel Messi told him during heated clash
- VIDEO: Lionel Messi’s reaction after Argentina players find Jordan Pickford’s penalty cheat sheet
After the referee blew for full-time, heated confrontations broke out as players, coaches and support staff from both teams became involved in chaotic scenes on the pitch.
Ayala, a former Valencia centre-back who now serves as one of Lionel Scaloni’s assistant coaches, seemed to lose his composure.
Footage shared on social media appeared to show him swinging his arm towards Olmo’s neck.
por que el raton ayala le pegó una piña a dani olmo jajdjsjsjsj pic.twitter.com/ZNkBpPAcjU
— Peñargrol (@CAPArgento__) July 20, 2026
The 53-year-old earned 115 international appearances for Argentina and enjoyed an outstanding club career with River Plate, Napoli, AC Milan and Valencia.
However, the former defender appeared to strike Olmo around the face before Spain defender Eric Garcia rushed in to separate the two.
Olmo showed restraint and did not appear to retaliate as teammates and officials attempted to calm the situation.
The incident was one of several flashpoints during the aftermath of the match, with Argentina’s disappointment spilling over after surrendering their World Cup crown.
Midfielder Leandro Paredes received a red card after crashing into Garcia and Gavi, while Nahuel Molina was also involved in multiple heated exchanges.
Watching the scenes unfold, BBC pundits Wayne Rooney and Joe Hart condemned Argentina’s conduct, with Hart describing the incidents as “disgusting”.
Despite criticising the behaviour of several Argentine players, Hart praised Lionel Messi, who was seen congratulating Spain’s squad after the match.
Scaloni also tried to defuse the tensions before later acknowledging that Spain deserved to lift the World Cup trophy.
The Argentina manager was clearly emotional and broke down in tears during his post-match press conference.
Spain, the reigning European champions, produced the better opportunities throughout the contest, while Argentina spent long periods attempting to disrupt their opponents’ rhythm.
Enzo Fernandez was sent off shortly before extra time, but Ferran Torres eventually turned Spain’s dominance into the winning goal in the 106th minute.
Torres collected Nico Williams’ flick-on before firing a close-range shot beyond Emi Martinez to secure victory.
The loss ended Argentina’s dream of retaining the World Cup title.
Spain capped a remarkable period of success by adding the World Cup to the European Championship they had previously won under Luis de la Fuente.
FIFA is expected to examine the post-match disorder, including incidents that went unnoticed by the match officials during the chaotic scenes.
