Argentina Coach Reveals Why He 'Punched' Spain Star Dani Olmo After World Cup Final
Argentina coach Roberto Ayala apologized for his actions in the World Cup final brawl, citing a reaction to provocation by Spain's Dani Olmo.
- Argentina were involved in a brawl after World Cup final, hitting and grabbing Spanish players' throats
- Argentina coach Roberto Ayala punched Spain forward Dani Olmo during the incident
- Ayala apologized for his actions, calling them an emotional reaction to Olmo's words
Chaotic scenes erupted in New York after Spain beat Argentina in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final. Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes was at the centre of a massive brawl, having punched, grabbed the throat of, and hit several Spanish players. Even a coach of the Argentina team, Roberto Ayala, was spotted punching Spain forward Dani Olmo. After returning home from the United States of America, Ayala broke his silence on the incident, revealing what really transpired on the field.
Speaking to the media, Ayala said he was sorry to have let emotions cloud his judgement, which shouldn't have happened. However, he went on to reveal that he lashed out at Olmo in reaction to something the Spain star had said.
"Obviously I'm sorry. Because of my position, I can't allow a feeling, or what I might receive from the other party, to change my mood and my actions. I'm sorry, but for me, these are things that stay there and that's it," Ayala told Esports Migdia.
"For me, things need to be put behind us and left there. It was more of a push than anything else-it wasn't a punch like they're saying-and that's it. It was a reaction to something he said, but that's it. If I see him, I'll obviously apologise to him in person.
"It's a shame, and you have to accept the facts and the things you've done on the field. When the game ends, what I see is a fight in the middle of the pitch, and we rush to go after our players, and it ends up like that because that's not who we are."
As a heated altercation broke out on the field, several members of the support staff intervened and tried to separate the players. Ayala said that he rushed onto the pitch hoping to defuse the tension, but was himself caught up in it.
"I take responsibility for what I did. My intention was to go and separate them-that was my intention-but sometimes things happen and emotions run high, though that's no excuse. Given my position, my behaviour has to be different, regardless of what I receive," he added.
Argentina
Spain