Why was Enzo Fernandez sent off in World Cup final? | OneFootball

Enzo Fernandez was sent off in the World Cup final after the Argentina and Chelsea midfielder received two yellow cards in the space of 10 minutes against Spain.

Fernandez, who scored Argentina’s equaliser against England in the semi-finals, was dismissed by referee Slavko Vincic with the game heading to extra time.

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(Reuters)

The 25-year-old received his first yellow card in the 82nd minute. After going to ground following the slightest of touches from Spain’s Rodri, Fernandez reacted furiously to not getting a free kick and waved his arm angrily towards the referee. Vincic stopped play and booked Fernandez for the show of dissent, with Fernandez clapping sarcastically.

Then, in the third minute of stoppage time, Fernandez was late into the challenge against Spain’s Pau Cubarsi. Chasing a clearance towards the halfway line, Fernandez was late into the tackle on Cubarsi - who cleared the ball but was then clattered into by Fernandez, clipping his shin and leg and sending him flying through the air.

“It’s stupid from him, it really is,” Alan Shearer said on the BBC. Fernandez attempted to appeal the decision, however, waving his hands in disbelief and asking for a VAR review. It took a couple of minutes for Fernandez to leave the pitch and the midfielder raised his hands in apology towards the Argentina fans before booting an advertising hoarding in frustration.

Fernandez is the sixth player to be sent off in a men’s World Cup final, and the third from Argentina. He follows Pedro Monzon and Gustavo Dezotti (both Argentina, both 1990), Marcel Desailly (France, 1998), Zinedine Zidane (France, 2006) and John Heitinga (Netherlands, 2010).

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(Reuters)

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(Reuters)

Meanwhile, Lionel Messi was labelled “a baby” after his apparent attempt to get Marc Cucurella sent off shortly after Fernandez’s red card.

Cucurella could be seen attempting to speak with Messi, but the Argentine forward desperately approach Vincic in a bid to report the Real Madrid star for interacting with him while his mouth was covered.

Under rules at the Fifa World Cup, players can be sent off for communicating with opposition while hiding their mouth, as was the case for Paraguay’s Miguel Almiron.

And ITV commentator Lee Dixon reacted in disgust at Messi’s attempt to try even up the teams at 10 players apiece.

“The game has gone if you're getting bookings and red cards for that, to get somebody sent off,” the former England defender said during the broadcast. “‘You shouldn’t be such a baby to try and get someone sent off for that, it’s ridiculous.”