Nicolas Otamendi made sure his farewell deed in an Argentina shirt would not go forgotten, clashing with Rodri shortly after Spain’s extra-time win in the World Cup final on Sunday.
At MetLife Stadium, players from both teams shook hands after Ferran Torres’ 106th-minute winner, but the veteran defender refused to shake Rodri and Mikel Oyarzabal’s hands, squaring up to the Manchester City midfielder with a message
“Start talking less, idiot. You guys spent the whole week crying. You and Laporte, both of you. That’s not how it’s done.” Otamendi said, according to Marca
🚨🇦🇷 Otamendi to Rodri and Laporte after the game: “You spent the whole week crying about the referee”.
“You talk too much”, reports Marca. pic.twitter.com/611CMMDCe8
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 20, 2026
The outburst came after comments made by Aymeric Laporte in the days before up to the final, when the Spain defender was asked about Argentina’s muscular style of play, adding that refereeing would play a part.
Caught flat-footed by the ferocity of the confrontation, Rodri tried to diffuse the situation, asking what Otamendi had meant and then bringing his hands together in a show of apology rather than hitting back.
It was an emotional farewell for the 38-year-old Otamendi, who replaced injured Lisandro Martinez and played his last match for the national team ahead of an expected move to River Plate.
There was more bad feeling elsewhere on the ground, with Leandro Paredes squaring up to Eric Garcia and Nahuel Molina engaging in a scrap of his own with the Spanish defender, forcing Lionel Scaloni to run onto the pitch to help separate players.
The tournament’s best player Rodri decided to opt out and walked away while Otamendi was visibly angered by the result.
