World Cup final referee hits back at Lionel Messi criticism after Argentina defeat to Spain

The coverage of the World Cup semi-finals shows some variation in focus. Most outlets, such as FT UK, centre on the match between England and Argentina, highlighting Messi's role. However, other centre outlets like Metro and Evening Standard shift attention to other potential finalists, including Spain, or broader themes like the demons haunting the semi-finals, as noted by The Guardian. The framing and tone across these centre outlets remain largely neutral, without noticeable divergence in sentiment.

World Cup final referee hits back at Lionel Messi criticism after Argentina defeat to Spain

Lionel Messi left in tears after losing World Cup final to Spain 1-0

Lionel Messi has been in tears after losing the World Cup final to Spain 1-0. The Argentine was ineffective in the final, not taking a touch in the Spanish penalty area as he failed to add to his eight goals, missing out on the Golden Boot. Barcelona winger Ferran Torres dealt the killer blow in extra time to win the World Cup for Spain. At full-time, several Argentina players got into heated confrontations, including Leandro Paredes and Nahuel Molina. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart slammed the behaviour of the Argentinians at the end of the game, labelling it "disgusting". "There was one man on the pitch who did have class, and that was Lionel Messi, who shook hands with every one of those Spanish players. "The game's done. They could have absolutely no complaints about what happened today. Disgusting behaviour," he told the BBC. Argentina were previously criticised for their aggressive behaviour during their 2-1 semi-final win over England. LATEST SPORTS HEADLINES: Enzo Fernandez sent off in World Cup final for 'stupid' challenge on Spain star Ryan Fox wins The Open Championship with birdie on 18 to claim first-ever major Fans slam half-time show at World Cup final as Fifa break rules Players had unveiled a banner at full-time claiming sovereignty of the Falklands Islands. England's former all-time record goalscorer Wayne Rooney echoed the thoughts of Hart. He said: "Does it surprise you? It doesn't surprise me. "We've seen this with Argentina before. It's just not the reaction you want. We've seen some of the reaction after knocking England out in the last round. "That's just sad. If you lose a game of football, be graceful and get out of there. It's really poor from them." Argentina defender Molina hit Spain midfielder Rodri while celebrating. Paredes appeared to grab Eric Garcia by the throat and then throw Gavi to the ground. Rooney continued: "That's a reaction to them being outplayed, out-fought,

Lionel Messi’s World Cup fairytale ends with pitiful Argentina as final villains | Pablo Iglesias Maurer

Game’s greatest player will not see his legacy sullied by defeat to Spain but his team’s display destroyed the game Playing on the grandest stage in sport for the last time, Lionel Messi seemed almost certain to provide one last memorable moment in this World Cup final. Yet as the sun ducked behind the west stand of New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday, it became clearer and clearer that Argentina had lost the magic they had carried through this tournament. And as Spain gradually wrested control, one was left to confront reality: Messi, and Argentina, had finally run out of time, having long since given in to their worst instincts in a 1-0 defeat. Continue reading...

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