Spain fans directed sarcastic chants of 'Infantino' at FIFA President Gianni Infantino after Nico Williams had a goal disallowed in extra-time of the World Cup final. The strike was chalked off for a foul called on Mikel Merino against Nicolas Otamendi.
The incident occurred in the first half of extra-time with the score at 0-0. Williams appeared to score after slotting an effort under Argentina's goalkeeper Emi Martinez. However, the referee, Slovenian Slavko Vincic, blew his whistle for a foul committed by Merino on Otamendi moments before the goal. VAR reviewed the decision but ultimately upheld the call, sparking anger among the Spanish supporters in the 80,000-capacity MetLife Stadium.
Commentators noted that Otamendi's reaction to the challenge was dramatic. Former England striker Alan Shearer, speaking on the BBC, criticized the decision, stating, "That is not a foul for me. The only thing I can see is there is a slight touch of the toes on Nicolas Otamendi's toe, but not enough for me to give it as a free-kick. Otamendi makes a meal of it and that's what has won them the free-kick."
The disallowed goal fueled existing speculation about the tournament's integrity, with some fans questioning if referees were biased towards Argentina's Lionel Messi. Similar accusations arose earlier in the tournament after Argentina's narrow knockout stage victories against Cape Verde, Egypt, and Switzerland, which involved controversial refereeing decisions.
FIFA's chief refereeing officer, Pierluigi Collina, has previously addressed these concerns, stating that "nobody can question the integrity" of the refereeing and that "unfounded allegations have no place in our sport."
Despite the setback, Spain eventually took the lead in the 106th minute through Ferran Torres. Williams headed down a cross from the right, and Torres converted the opportunity to put Spain ahead.
Argentina pushed for an equalizer late in the match, with Marcos Senesi coming close. However, Spain managed to hold on for a historic victory, denying Messi a World Cup title in what may have been his final appearance on the global stage.
Following the match's conclusion, chaotic scenes unfolded. Argentinian substitute Leandro Paredes was involved in an altercation with Spain's Gavi after the final whistle, which led to Paredes appearing to punch Gavi. Former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney criticized Argentina's behavior throughout the tournament, calling it "sad, very poor" and stating that "If you lose a game of football, be graceful."