Lamine Yamal poked fun at Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes during Spain's open-top bus parade following their World Cup victory on Sunday. The 18-year-old Barcelona star played all 120 minutes at the MetLife Stadium as Luis de la Fuente's side beat Argentina 1-0 courtesy of Ferran Torres' extra-time strike.
World Cup Final and Post-Match Chaos
The final was hardly a classic encounter, with Argentina failing to register a single shot on goal in normal time before eventually conceding after going down to ten men following Enzo Fernandez's dismissal. The defending champions let their emotions boil over at full-time, with several Argentine players and coaches appearing to attack their Spanish opponents shortly after the whistle.
Nahuel Molina initially punched Spain captain Rodri in the chest as he ran onto the pitch to celebrate, while in a separate incident Molina and Paredes were seen grabbing Spain midfielder Gavi by the neck and throwing him to the floor. FIFA has since opened an investigation into the spate of violent outbursts from Argentina's players and coaches, with assistant coach Roberto Ayala also facing possible repercussions for striking Spain midfielder Dani Olmo.
Yamal's Sign and Parade Celebrations
While Spain's players showed commendable restraint throughout the chaotic post-match scenes, La Roja had clearly not forgotten the incidents when they returned to the streets of Madrid to celebrate their victory. During the parade, Yamal was captured holding up a sign poking fun at the scrap between Paredes and Gavi, which read: 'Velada del Año: Paredes vs Gavi.' La Velada del Año is a celebrity crossover boxing event held regularly in Spain, which attracts millions of viewers on the streaming platform Twitch.
An estimated two million people were in attendance for the parade as Spain's players made their way through the streets of Madrid to a celebration at the Plaza de Cibeles. Speaking at the event, Spain's head coach De la Fuente said: 'Thank you Spain for supporting us, for being here. We are lucky to have 26 fantastic people who are also fantastic footballers, the best in the world. For me, it is an honour to manage them and share this moment with my coaching staff. Together we are stronger, don't forget that. Long live Spain!'
Reactions from Rodri and King Felipe
Manchester City midfielder and Golden Ball winner Rodri added: 'We are world champions. Long live the mother who gave birth to me, long live the mothers who gave birth to us. Long live the King. Long live Spain.' Spain's monarch King Felipe was also keen to praise his side's efforts against a rough Argentinian side, insisting: 'You've suffered, you've come home bruised and tired, you've endured some criticism, but what is all that compared with the joy of bringing the cup home?'
Yamal on Messi Conversation
Elsewhere, Yamal also revealed the contents of his conversation with Lionel Messi after the two players exchanged a warm embrace at full-time on Sunday. 'He's the greatest player in history and someone I've always looked up to. After the match, I wanted to show him my respect. He told me to keep following my path and that the future belongs to our generation. Those words are worth as much as the gold medal hanging around my neck.' Yamal added: 'If someone had told me a few years ago that I'd be here lifting the World Cup after playing against Lionel Messi, I would have thought they were crazy.'
