Four years after millions poured into the streets of Buenos Aires to celebrate Argentina’s World Cup triumph, the country’s football faithful returned to familiar ground hoping history was about to repeat itself. Hours before kickoff, thousands dressed in sky blue and white had already gathered around the iconic Obelisk, waving flags and chanting as Lionel Messi and Co. chased back-to-back World Cup titles.
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Spain’s 1-0 extra-time victory eventually ended those hopes, but the initial response was not violence. The stunned silence that followed the final whistle soon gave way to applause, fireworks and chants of “Gracias iguales”—”Thanks all the same”—as supporters saluted Argentina’s run to another World Cup final. For several hours, the gathering remained largely peaceful.
That changed as midnight approached. A small group breached the metal fencing protecting the Obelisk while others attempted to set fire to a trash container, prompting police to move in. Stones, glass bottles and pieces of masonry were then hurled at police lines, and the gathering descended into clashes. Riot police responded with tear gas, water cannons and rubber bullets, pushing crowds away from the monument and down Avenida 9 de Julio toward Avenida de Mayo.
Authorities had prepared for the enormous gathering well before kickoff, deploying 1,000 Buenos Aires City Police officers around the Obelisk 200 more than the operation used for Argentina’s semifinal celebrations. By the time order was restored roughly an hour after the clashes began, 15 people had been arrested and seven police officers had suffered blunt-force injuries from thrown stones, masonry and glass bottles. Buenos Aires emergency service SAME assisted 49 people during the night’s events, treating 40 at the scene and transferring nine to municipal hospitals.
The unrest left broken glass and debris scattered across the surrounding avenues, but the damage was largely confined to municipal infrastructure, including breached barriers, damaged street furniture and burned trash containers. There were no verified reports of widespread looting or systematic destruction of private businesses.
The scenes provided a stark contrast to Argentina’s last World Cup ending. An estimated four to five million people flooded Buenos Aires and surrounding highways after the 2022 triumph, with crowds becoming so dense that the team’s open-top bus could not reach the Obelisk and the players eventually had to be evacuated by helicopter. Yet there was also a darker precedent: after Argentina’s 1-0 extra-time defeat to Germany in the 2014 final, late-night violence around the Obelisk ended with 120 arrests and 70 people treated for injuries, including 15 police officers.
President Javier Milei had also left open the possibility of a national holiday tied to the team’s homecoming, writing, “Given the concern about the celebrations for the achievement reached by the Argentine National Team, I inform the population that, depending on what the Players and the Technical Staff decide regarding the day to celebrate, it will be declared a national holiday.” No immediate holiday was declared, and the plan ultimately went unfulfilled after most of Argentina’s core players departed directly from the United States rather than returning to Buenos Aires for a public celebration.
Milei nevertheless paid tribute to the defeated finalists after the match, writing, “Thank you so much, Players…!!! Until the end with our boots on. Argentina always at the top.”
The fallout from Argentina’s defeat was not confined to Buenos Aires. FIFA also opened disciplinary proceedings over the confrontation that erupted at MetLife Stadium after the final whistle. As Spain’s players began celebrating, Argentina defender Nahuel Molina struck Rodri in the midsection with his arm as the Spanish captain ran across the pitch, prompting the pair to confront one another.
The confrontation escalated when Leandro Paredes charged toward Eric García, shoved the Spain defender to the turf and later grabbed him by the throat. Paredes also clashed with Gavi before players, officials and coaching staff intervened, with Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni entering the melee to restrain his own players. Referee Slavko Vincic subsequently showed Paredes a straight red card.
FIFA’s disciplinary proceedings are reviewing the conduct of Paredes and Molina, while Argentina assistant coach Roberto Ayala is also under investigation over an alleged confrontation with Dani Olmo. The Argentine Football Association could face scrutiny over broader team misconduct as FIFA reviews footage and official match reports.
