I would have head-butted him — Ibrahimovic slams Spain players for not fighting Argentina star

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has launched a scathing attack on Leandro Paredes following the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, declaring he would have intentionally headbutted the Argentina midfielder for his post-match aggression.

The former Sweden international, working as a television pundit for Fox Sports during the tournament, did not hold back in his assessment of the ugly scenes that marred the conclusion of the showpiece event.

The controversy erupted after Spain secured their second World Cup title with a 1-0 extra-time victory over Argentina at MetLife Stadium.

Following Ferran Torres's decisive strike (106th minute) and the final whistle, Paredes sparked a massive brawl by grabbing Spanish defender Eric Garcia by the throat. The 32-year-old midfielder then escalated the situation by aggressively throwing Barcelona youngster Gavi to the floor.

Ibrahimovic, renowned for his physically imposing style during a decorated playing career, was disgusted by the lack of physical retaliation from the Spanish squad.

"Paredes can be happy there was no player like me on the pitch. If I had been there, I would have headbutted him and been sent off. It is unprofessional behaviour from him," Ibrahimovic stated.

"I don’t know what the Spanish players are doing? They are just watching another player hit their team-mate," he added.

The Argentina international was reportedly shown a red card in the immediate aftermath of the scuffle, though FIFA later launched a formal investigation into the post-match conduct.

The incident capped a highly aggressive performance from Paredes, who was fortunate to avoid dismissal during regular time for a series of cynical challenges before teammate Enzo Fernandez was ultimately sent off (90th minute).

The chaos stood in stark contrast to the historic achievement by Spain, who overcame the defending champions to claim global supremacy.

Following his fiery critique of the World Cup final, the 44-year-old Swede announced his immediate retirement from television punditry.