Argentina were comfortably second best throughout the World Cup final defeat to Spain, managing more red cards than shots on target across the 90 minutes and extra time, but the fallout from full-time has proven just as damaging to their reputation as anything that happened on the pitch.

The 1-0 loss capped off a hugely disappointing afternoon for Lionel Scaloni’s side, who had arrived in New Jersey hoping to add a second successive World Cup to their trophy cabinet.

Instead, they leave having been comfortably beaten by Spain, and what followed the final whistle was enough to leave pundits, journalists and fans across the football world united in their criticism of the Argentine squad.

Ugly Brawl Breaks out Moments After Full-Time

Mike Segar via Action Images/Reuters

FIFA have launched an investigation after a brawl erupted almost immediately after the final whistle. Leandro Paredes appeared to be the main culprit, confronting Gavi, wrestling him to the ground and shoving him in the face as other Argentina players became involved in the confrontation.

The scenes provoked strong reactions online. “This is absolutely disgusting. And people have normalised under the name of ‘passion’… this is straight thuggery,” football commentator Aaron Cikaya wrote.

CNN anchor Jim Sciutto added, “Such a shame – awful model for young athletes,” while The Atlantic’s Thomas Chatterton Williams branded both Argentina and Paraguay’s squads “disgraceful.” One fan simply demanded that Paredes be banned for an entire season.

Jeenah Moon/Reuters

Argentina’s conduct off the pitch drew just as much backlash, with the entire squad reportedly skipping their mandatory media obligations entirely, despite FIFA rules requiring each team to make players available in the mixed zone.

Prominent commentator Taylor Twellman echoed the sentiment, saying, “They really didn’t show themselves in a positive light today both on and off the field,” while the LA Times’ Kevin Baxter added a pointed, “Stay classy, Argentina!”

Fox Sports analyst and former USA defender, Alexi Lalas, was scathing in his response, simply writing, “Weak.”

Between the on-field fracas and the media snub, Argentina’s post-match conduct has become almost as big a talking point as the result itself.

Celtic are eyeing a move to sign Manchester United star Radek Vitek this summer after it emerged he wants to leave, according to TEAMtalk.

The Glasgow giants claimed the Scottish Premiership title for the fifth season in a row with a final day win over Hearts last time out, and manager Martin O’Neill is keen to rebuild the squad, with many changes expected during the summer transfer window.

One position that is in need of reinforcements in particular is in goal, with Kasper Schmeichel forced to retire due to a shoulder injury he suffered last season, and the club are ready to look towards a top prospect to fill their number one spot.

Celtic Eye Man Utd Star Vitek

Andrew Couldridge via Action Images/Reuters

Vitek spent last season on loan at Bristol City in the Championship and impressed, earning their Players’ Player of the Year and Fans’ Player of the Year, and Young Player of the Year awards for his performances.

He has now returned to Old Trafford following that loan spell, and kept a clean sheet in the second half after coming on during Man Utd’s first pre-season game against Wrexham over the weekend.

However, the Czech youngster revealed after the game that he is ready to leave in order to play every week, whether it be on loan or permanently, and Celtic are ready to step up their interest to take him to Scotland.

Vitek has been hugely praised by Czech legend Petr Cech, and the 22-year-old is very highly-rated at Man Utd. But with Senne Lammens establishing himself as the number one since his arrival last summer, a move away is now expected.

Martin O’Neill has confirmed that the club are looking for someone to come in, and after admitting that a more experienced option like Joe Hart of Schmeichel was preferred, he also revealed that the club were open to a deal for a younger goalkeeper if they were good enough.

Vitek Ready for Step Up

It’s not often that top young goalkeepers become available on the market, but Vitek fits that bill and would be a terrific signing at Celtic Park.

The number one spot is up for grabs, and despite his age, Vitek has got plenty of experience playing regularly, and his ability to claim crosses, play out with the ball at his feet, and command his box make him a prime candidate to come into Glasgow and make the shirt his own.

O’Neill will know what he is looking for, but there is clearly a deal to be done there for the youngster, and Celtic would be smart to take the opportunity to bring him in as a player for the present and future.

Following the conclusion of the 2026 World Cup, which saw Spain claim a deserved 1-0 extra-time victory over Argentina in the final, a supercomputer has predicted the 20 most likely recipients of the Ballon d’Or ahead of October’s ceremony.

Using a simulation-based model, that takes into account individual statistics, betting odds and team honours, the formula – courtesy of Action Network – was run 10,000 times, with each percentage reflecting the number of simulations in which a player came out on top and won the award.

The likes of Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe boosted their chances this summer with outstanding individual performances, despite falling short of tangible team success. However, after La Roja’s second world title triumph, it is Spain’s star players who dominate the top 20, with many now firmly in the driving seat in the race for football’s biggest individual prize.

20-16

In this section, all five players have been given less than a one per cent chance of winning the Ballon d’Or, but each has, in one way or another, done enough to catch the supercomputer’s eye. In Achraf Hakimi’s case, that is likely down to the fact he won the Champions League, contributed to three goals in six World Cup matches as Morocco captain, and also led his country to the AFCON title.

Given those achievements, he could arguably rank above several of the players within five places of him, particularly taking into account how Portugal’s campaign ultimately fizzled out despite club-mate Joao Neves coming in at 19th. It is also somewhat surprising to see Pau Cubarsi given only a 0.4 per cent chance, considering he helped Spain concede just one goal all summer while winning the Young Player of the Tournament award.

Elsewhere, Bukayo Saka’s fitness issues saw him become an unexpected bit-part player during Arsenal’s first Premier League title triumph in 22 years. Even so, he still ranks higher than Raphinha – the Barcelona winger who contributed to 16 goals in 22 matches as Hansi Flick’s side retained their La Liga crown.

15-11

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Sam Navarro

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is up next, with the Paris Saint-Germain winger terrorising defences all season before being forced to sit and watch the World Cup from afar due to the misfortune of representing Georgia. Pedri is undoubtedly one of the best midfielders in the world, but he was often overlooked during Spain’s triumph, starting just twice across the USA, Canada and Mexico.

At 1.1%, Michael Olise is held back by the lack of any continental or international silverware. He had previously ranked among the top three in the Ballon d’Or power rankings, with his remarkable return of 29 goals and 34 assists seemingly destined to propel Bayern Munich and France to even greater heights.

Rounding out this section, Vinicius Jr is the 12th favourite after famously throwing his toys out of the pram when Rodri pipped him to the award at the death in 2024. Meanwhile, Erling Haaland slots in at 11th, with his goalscoring exploits continuing to carry significant weight. His World Cup debut culminated in an almost inhuman haul of seven goals in five matches for surprise package Norway.

10-6

Argentina’s Lionel Messi via REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli

Ferran Torres scored the most important goal of his life in the World Cup final, arriving late into the box to crash home the winner. While the headlines that followed quickly shifted away from him and onto Argentina’s disgraceful conduct, the supercomputer still gives him a 1.2 per cent chance of winning the Ballon d’Or thanks mostly to that decisive moment.

England duo Declan Rice (1.3%) and Harry Kane (2.5%) sit just ahead of him. Both players won domestic league titles this season but were unable to bring football home for the Three Lions. Meanwhile, Vitinha enjoyed success on multiple fronts, winning a treble with Paris Saint-Germain.

Last but certainly not least, Lionel Messi has been given a seven per cent chance of extending his record haul by winning a ninth Ballon d’Or. His odds were significantly stronger heading into the World Cup final after a sensational tournament in which he scored eight goals and provided four assists. However, defeat to Spain dealt a major blow to his chances, as his contributions for Inter Miami do not count towards the voting period, causing his hopes to take a hit at the final hurdle.

5-1

REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach via Action Images

Jude Bellingham is England’s highest-ranked player on this list. One of the standout performers at the World Cup based on statistics, he offered another glimpse of just how high his ceiling could be, despite having only recently turned 23. Meanwhile, with a 10.5 per cent chance of winning, Ousmane Dembele is well placed to claim back-to-back Ballon d’Or titles.

In third place, Kylian Mbappe scored more goals than almost anyone else in domestic and European football last season before going on to win the Golden Boot at the World Cup, becoming the competition’s all-time leading goalscorer in the process. However, because Lamine Yamal was able to pair his individual brilliance with the game’s biggest team prize, the Spain star edges ahead of him in second.

The current favourite, with a 26 per cent chance of winning, is Rodri. The midfielder claimed the Golden Ball as the best player at this summer’s World Cup and could now be on course for a second Ballon d’Or. In doing so, he would further cement his place among football’s elite, having already completed the sport by becoming one of just 11 players to win a World Cup, a Champions League and football’s most prestigious individual award.