Op-Ed: Don't Cry for Argentina's Petulant World Cup Meltdown

Spain may have hoisted the World Cup after its win at the final on Sunday, but writing in the Athletic, Adam Crafton argues that Argentina stole the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. He describes a "tetchy, petulant and distasteful" performance that escalated from rough challenges and constant haranguing of the referee into "bar-room-type brawls" after the final whistle—then culminated in Argentina literally turning their backs on Spain's trophy ceremony. That snub, Crafton writes, was "a show of disrespect to the winners of the most high-profile sporting event in the world" and perfectly in tune with a "charmless Argentine showing" that leaned on provocation instead of football.

Crafton details how Spain refused to be dragged into Argentina's chaos, using calm possession as "the equivalent of a sedative" while their opponents racked up cynical fouls and, in Enzo Fernández's case, what he frames as one of the more foolish red cards a World Cup final has seen. Even Lionel Messi, he notes, cut a frustrated, peripheral figure as several teammates crossed the line from fierce competitors into what critics called "disgusting sportsmen." For Crafton's argument—and a blow-by-blow of Argentina's meltdown—read the full piece at the Athletic.