De la Fuente slams Argentina's World Cup behaviour
Luis De la Fuente has labelled Argentina's actions after the World Cup final as "intolerable" and "unacceptable" after his Spain side won the 2026 FIFA World Cup final against the Albaceleste.
Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 in the showpiece match, thanks to Ferran Torres's extra-time winner, and the South American side reacted poorly to the defeat, with scuffles after a game that saw it reduced to to 10 men.
La Roja is now unbeaten in its past 38 matches in all competitions, the longest run by any European or South American team, but some of the spotlight was taken away from Spain after the final whistle.
After the referee signalled the end of the match, Argentina's Leandro Paredes was involved in a scuffle with Spain's Gavi, while Nahuel Molina was involved in a separate incident.
De la Fuente admitted he did not see the events during his celebrations, while FIFA is now investigating the situation.
"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.
"Players of that stature, whom I praised in the days leading up to the match and continue to praise, who are great players with a tremendous coach, surely they must have felt just as bad as we did seeing those reactions."
Spain won the FIFA World Cup for the second time, after 2010, meaning that seven of the eight winners of the tournament have now won it at least twice – England is the only nation with a solitary victory.
