Enzo Fernandez was sent off in the World Cup final after the Argentina and Chelsea midfielder received two yellow cards in the space of 10 minutes against Spain.
Fernandez, who scored Argentina’s equaliser against England in the semi-finals, was dismissed by referee Slavko Vincic with the game heading to extra time.
The 25-year-old received his first yellow card in the 82nd minute. After going to ground following the slightest of touches from Spain’s Rodri, Fernandez reacted furiously to not getting a free kick and waved his arm angrily towards the referee. Vincic stopped play and booked Fernandez for the show of dissent, with Fernandez risking further punishment by clapping sarcastically.
Then, in the third minute of stoppage time, Fernandez was hopelessly late into the challenge against Spain’s Pau Cubarsi. Chasing a clearance towards the halfway line, Fernandez left his foot into the tackle to clip Cubarsi – who met the ball to clear but was then clattered into by Fernandez, flying into his shin and leg and sending him soaring through the air.
“It’s stupid from him, it really is,” Alan Shearer said on the BBC. Fernandez attempted to appeal the decision, however, waving his hands in disbelief and asking for a VAR review. It took a couple of minutes for Fernandez to leave the pitch and the midfielder raised his hands in apology towards the Argentina fans before booting an pitch-side microphone in frustration.
Fernandez is the sixth player to be sent off in a men’s World Cup final, and the third from Argentina. He follows Pedro Monzon and Gustavo Dezotti (both Argentina, both 1990), Marcel Desailly (France, 1998), Zinedine Zidane (France, 2006) and John Heitinga (Netherlands, 2010).
In the end, super sub Ferran Torres fired Spain to their second men’s World Cup triumph as what looks to be Messi’s last dance ended in 10-man Argentina falling to a meek 1-0 extra-time defeat.
Billed as a box-office final between the South American and European champions, what transpired was a defence versus attack exercise as the holders showed spirit but precious little else.
Faltering Argentina failed to muster a shot across 90 minutes and only Emiliano Martinez’s heroics kept Spain at bay, with the goalkeeper preventing teenager Lamine Yamal from scoring a match-winning free-kick.
The reigning champions lost Fernandez to a brainless second yellow card just before extra time, with Lionel Scaloni’s lacklustre side continuing to stumble against Luis de la Fuente’s classy, ball-playing outfit.
Spain kept knocking at the door and substitute Torres eventually slammed home at the start of the second period of extra time. Argentina were unable to eke out an equaliser having been a pale imitation of the team that broke England’s hearts in Wednesday’s semi-final.
Tempers frayed as the final whistle sparked Spanish celebrations and surely called time on 39-year-old star Messi’s last World Cup match.
