After the final whistle, the 2026 World Cup final stadium turned into chaos, with brawls breaking out everywhere.

Roberto Fabian Ayala, assistant to Lionel Scaloni, head coach of the Argentine national team, was at the center of one of the most controversial moments, and now he has finally broken his silence on what happened with Spanish star Dani Olmo.

In his first statement since the incident, Ayala expressed deep regret for his actions after Argentina's 0-1 loss to Spain in the World Cup final at MetLife Stadium last Sunday, and confirmed his readiness to apologize to the Spanish player personally.

Ayala told Valencia Capital radio on Wednesday: 'I regret it. Given my position, I cannot allow my emotions, or anything I might receive from the other side, to affect my mood and actions. That's why I regret it.'

The former Valencia legend refused to reveal what was said to him on the field that provoked him, and downplayed the whole incident, saying: 'In my opinion, we should put an end to this matter and leave it at that. It was just a push, not a punch as some try to portray it.'

The former defender added: 'What I did was a reaction to words said to me, but it's over. If I meet him, I will definitely apologize to him personally.'

In an effort to justify his presence in the altercation, Ayala stressed that his intention was to calm things down, not to escalate, saying: 'It's unfortunate. We must take responsibility for our actions on the field.'

He added: 'When the match ended, I saw a scuffle in the middle of the field, so we tried to move our players away and end it that way, because we are not that kind of players.'

Leandro Paredes, Argentine midfielder from Boca Juniors, also clashed with Spanish players, and Ayala spoke frankly about it, saying: 'I take responsibility for what I did. My intention was to separate the players; that was my true intention.'

He explained: 'Sometimes a person faces events where his heart is highly agitated, and that is not an excuse. Given my position, I should have acted differently no matter what I heard. Eric García was also present, and I simply told him that I came to separate the players and congratulate them only.'

Scaloni's assistant's statements come at a sensitive time, as FIFA has just announced a comprehensive disciplinary investigation and appointed a special investigator to examine everything that followed the 2026 World Cup final.

The clash between Ayala and Olmo was only part of the incident; Argentine player Nahuel Molina also threw a punch at Rodri, the Spanish captain, while the European team was celebrating its title triumph.