Paredes reportedly grabbed Eric García after Argentina's World Cup final win

Leandro Paredes was at the center of the chaos that followed Argentina’s 4-2 penalty shootout win over France, with accounts from the post-whistle melee saying the midfielder grabbed Eric García by the neck as players and staff from both sides converged on the pitch. Other versions of the same confrontation said Paredes also knocked Gavi to the ground.

The confrontation came after a final that finished 3-3 at Lusail Stadium in Doha, Qatar, on Dec. 18, 2022. FIFA’s match summary lists the game as Match 64 with an 18:00 kickoff, and it ended with Argentina claiming its third world title in one of the most dramatic finals of the tournament.

Eric García’s presence in the clash drew attention because he did not play a minute at the World Cup, yet he was pulled into the melee after the final whistle. The tension widened beyond the players, with Argentina and Spain figures both visible in the aftermath as tempers carried over from a match that had already stretched through regulation, extra time and penalties.

The episode landed in the middle of broader scrutiny over Argentina’s conduct at the end of the tournament. FIFA opened a disciplinary case against the Asociación del Fútbol Argentino over alleged unsporting behavior and fair play breaches tied to the celebrations after the final, adding an institutional layer to what unfolded on the field in Doha.

Argentina’s triumph had been framed as deserved after the team held off France in a final that became a showcase for Lionel Messi’s side and the pressure that followed the decisive shootout. But the closing scenes left a less polished picture: a World Cup champion celebrating under the gaze of officials while another scrap, this time with Paredes in the middle of it, became part of the story of the night.