Tearful Argentina stars failed to repeat their Falkland Islands stunt last night after their resounding defeat in the World Cup final.
Just days ago, players unfurled a “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” flag just moments after knocking out England.
The banner, which translated to “the Falklands are Argentine”, was rolled out in front of baying fans in Atlanta – with Manchester United man Lisandro Martinez and former Spurs midfielder Giovani Lo Celso seen laughing and dancing.
Martinez faced calls to have his UK work visa revoked over the stunt.
And Lionel Messi even stood by and joined in the celebrations.
But those same players were left in tears and resorting to violence after being downed 1-0 by eventual champions Spain last night.
They even kept their backs turned as the victorious Spaniards lifted the trophy.
On the pitch, Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez was sent off just before extra time, while the unsavoury full-time scenes involving Leandro Paredes and Nahuel Molina have been panned across the board.
Former England star Luther Blissett told GB News it was in Argentina’s “DNA” to play rough, adding he could “never understand why… they’ve always been like that”.
While BBC pundit Joe Hart said: “There was one man on the pitch who did have class and that was Lionel Messi, who shook hands with every one of those Spanish players.
Tearful Argentina stars failed to repeat their Falkland Islands stunt last night
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Lisandro Martinez, pictured clashing with security after last night’s World Cup final humiliation, has faced calls for his work visa to be revoked following the Falklands debacle
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REUTERS
“The game’s done. They could have absolutely no complaints about what happened today. Disgusting behaviour.”
Fellow pundit Wayne Rooney said of the Argentine antics: “Does it surprise you? It doesn’t surprise me.
“We’ve seen this with Argentina before. It’s just not the reaction you want. We’ve seen some of the reaction after knocking England out in the last round.
“That’s just sad. If you lose a game of football, be graceful and get out of there. It’s really poor from them.”
Argentina defender Molina struck Spain midfielder Rodri as he ran on to the pitch to celebrate his side’s success.
Rodri had the last laugh about 10 minutes later as he hoisted the World Cup trophy aloft to an audience of billions.
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Lionel Messi was among the Argentina stars in tears
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Emiliano Martinez looked visibly emotional at full-time after letting in the only goal of the game
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Paredes also appeared to grab Eric Garcia by the throat and then threw Gavi to the ground.
“That’s a reaction to them being outplayed, out-fought, out-thought on the football pitch, and then they resort to that at the end,” Rooney said.
“It’s poor from those two players.”
Gary Neville, speaking on ITV, singled out Paredes’s behaviour for criticism.
The former England full-back he had “just been a disgrace for the last couple of games” and questioned why referees “have allowed him to continue doing what he is doing”.
Micah Richards added: “It’s quite embarrassing really. In the game, they were just on the cusp every single time… this is not good enough – it’s not a good look at all.”
Fifa has confirmed it is considering disciplinary action against the Argentine players pictured holding the banner | REUTERS
Argentina still face the risk of disciplinary action for their stunt after the England match last week.
In 2014, Fifa fined the Argentine Football Association £20,000 after its players held up a banner with the same message before a friendly against Slovenia.
Football’s governing body said the gesture had breached rules on political action and team misconduct.
But any decision on general breaches of regulations by players or supporters will be made in the weeks after a tournament.
The stunt became the centre of a political firestorm within seconds – reinforcing misplaced Argentine claims that the South American country controls the Falklands.
The country’s Vice President continued a series of anti-English rants on social media, while its President warned a diplomatic solution to the sovereignty was on the way.
The White House came to the the Albiceleste’s defence, with Fifa task force chief Andrew Giuliani saying the players had every right to express themselves on American soil.
“We believe in our First Amendment rights here in the United States of America,” Mr Giuliani told reporters.
