Argentina Become First Nation With Three World Cup Final Red Cards | OneFootball

Enzo Fernandez was sent off in the closing stages of Sunday’s 1-0 World Cup final defeat to Spain, making Argentina the first nation in history to have three players dismissed in a World Cup final, according to Sports Mole.

The Chelsea midfielder collected his first yellow card for dissent towards referee Slavko Vincic, then compounded the damage three minutes into stoppage time with a needless late challenge on Pau Cubarsi that brought out the second booking. The dismissal came as Lionel Scaloni’s side were attempting to drag the match to penalties, still level at 0-0 through 90 minutes.

Spain’s winning margin arrived in the 106th minute when Ferran Torres converted from Nico Williams’s knockdown, settling a final in which Argentina failed to register a single shot on target.

Argentina’s Unenviable Final Disciplinary Record

Fernandez followed Pedro Monzon and Gustavo Dezotti, both of whom were sent off in Argentina’s 1-0 defeat to West Germany in the 1990 final – the only other occasion two players from the same team were dismissed in the same World Cup final. France had previously shared the unwanted record with Argentina at two dismissals, through Marcel Desailly in 1998 and Zinedine Zidane’s infamous headbutt on Marco Materazzi in 2006. Argentina now hold that record outright.

The defeat also deepened a painful pattern in the tournament’s biggest game. Having already lost finals in 1930, 1990, and 2014, Argentina now share with Germany the record for the most defeats in a World Cup final, four apiece. Their three titles – 1978, 1986, and 2022 – sit alongside an increasingly sobering runners-up tally.

Argentina’s players joyfully display their World Cup trophies after victory.

A Bitter End to Argentina’s Tournament Run

Fernandez had been a central figure in Argentina’s run to the final, and Scaloni had built his midfield around him for the knockout rounds. The manner of Sunday’s exit – a red card born of frustration, a single conceded goal, no attacking threat – will make for uncomfortable reflection as the squad regroups for the next international cycle.