Argentina’s frustration spilled over after their 1-0 extra-time defeat to Spain in the World Cup final.

During the post-match handshakes, Nicolás Otamendi confronted Spain captain Rodri in an angry exchange over comments made by Aymeric Laporte before the game.

The two players were teammates at Manchester City during the 2019/20 season, but there was little sign of that relationship as Otamendi delivered a furious rebuke.

“Start talking less, you idiot. You were crying all week,” Otamendi told Rodri, according to footage transcribed by Marca.

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“You were crying all week. You and Laporte, both of you. That’s not how it is done. You were crying to the referees all week, my friend.”

Rodri caught in the firing line

Rodri appeared confused by the accusation and asked Otamendi what he was referring to.

“Laporte? Didn’t you see what he said this week?” the Argentine defender replied.

Rodri, who had not publicly made the comments that angered Otamendi, responded: “I respect you.”

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The confrontation concerned an interview Laporte had given before the final. The Spain defender had questioned whether Argentina’s physical approach was being properly controlled by referees.

“I’m not worried at all about physical play as long as it is part of football,” Laporte said. “If it is allowed and the referee does his job, I have no problem with it.”

“It is true that in recent matches we have seen things that have surprised us greatly, actions that have gone unpunished. Especially with Argentina, who are a team that leave a lot of little messages with their challenges.”

Laporte added that such incidents should not be accepted at the highest level.

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“That should not be allowed in football, especially in competitions of this magnitude, because it can unsettle and anger you,” he said.

“It is part of the referee’s job to control these situations so that they do not take advantage. If one or two players are allowed to do that, the match will become chaotic.”

Tempers boil over after defeat

Otamendi appeared to interpret the remarks as an attempt to place pressure on match officials before the final. However, his criticism of Rodri was somewhat misplaced, as the Spain midfielder had not made the comments himself.

The exchange formed part of a chaotic aftermath at MetLife Stadium. Enzo Fernández had already been sent off after receiving a second yellow card in second-half stoppage time, while Leandro Paredes was shown a red card following the final whistle.

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Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal in the 106th minute as Spain defeated the 10-man defending champions and claimed their second World Cup title, as described by The Guardian.

For Argentina, a painful defeat ended with anger and recriminations. For Rodri, the celebrations briefly gave way to a confrontation over words that were not even his own.

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