Laporte: Argentina players' violent tackles were ignored and Spain's style is different

Spain defender Aymeric Laporte admitted that his country's opponent in the 2026 World Cup final, Argentina, has been surprising in recent matches.

Spain and Argentina meet in New York on Sunday in the World Cup final, where the Spanish team seeks its second title, the first since 2010, while Argentina, aiming to defend its title from the previous edition, tries to win its fourth historic title.

Laporte said in an interview with Spanish newspaper Marca: 'It is true that in recent matches we have seen movements that truly surprised us, movements that were ignored. Especially those committed by the Argentine team which involved violent tackles.'

He added: 'This situation should not be tolerated in football, especially in major tournaments, because it can disrupt the balance and provoke anger.'

He continued: 'If one or two players escape punishment, the match will turn into utter chaos.'

The player said: 'We have been a very noble team in this regard since the beginning of the tournament. Our style does not depend on hitting opponents or committing reckless fouls. I think this is what we need to do in the final match as well. However, the result will certainly depend largely on the referee's management of the match.'