​Argentina’s World Cup ended with punches thrown and the former champions left in disgrace following a 1-0 defeat to Spain in the final. There were chaotic scenes after the full-time whistle in New Jersey as the Spain substitutes ran onto the pitch to celebrate victory. Nahuel Molina, the Argentina defender, appeared to swing a punch into the stomach of Spain captain Rodri as he ran past him onto the field. Then, there was a violent clash involving midfielder Leandro Paredes, who was pictured shoving Spain’s Eric Garcia by the throat. Leandro Paredes wrestles Spain’s Gavi to the ground after full-time (Reuters)Paredes wrestled Spain’s Gavi to the ground and pushed into his face while holding him by his substitute bib. Spain’s Mikel Oyarzabal and Rodri sprinted past Molina after the final whistle was blown and La Roja were crowned champions. Molina appeared to swing at Rodri, leading to the Spain captain stopping in his tracks and approaching the Argentina defender while shouting. Molina then squared up to Rodri and bumped him in the chest, which was the flashpoint that triggered Spain’s Eric Garcia to step in. Paredes, who was booked during the final and was fortunate to not receive a second yellow card, then flew towards Garcia. He jabbed him in the throat just as Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni approached, wagging his finger and trying to break up the scuffles. With Scaloni separating Garcia and other Argentina coaching staff members getting involved, Paredes then turned his attention to Spain’s 21-year-old midfielder Gavi – who by that point was already wrestling with Argentina’s Thiago Almada.Paredes, 32, spun Gavi to the ground and appeared to push into his face while holding him by the bib. Several of Gavi’s Spanish team-mates then stepped in to shield him, with Spain’s Borja Iglesias crashing into Paredes. (Reuters)It was a sorry way for Argentina’s tournament to end after they had taken an emotional path to the final. They were attempting to a second World Cup in a row for captain Lionel Messi, who was playing on the World Cup stage for the final time. But the antics of the rest of the Argentina team were quickly condemned as the scenes after the final whistle soured Spain’s deserved victory, with former England goalkeeper Joe Hart labelling Argentina’s behaviour “disgusting”. “It’s a disgrace,” Gary Neville said on ITV. “I love the competitiveness of the Argentines, fighting and scrapping for their lives, Messi has propped them up, but it’s been a disgrace the last few games.” “Paredes threw two or three haymakers into someone’s face. He went for them,” Alan Shearer said on BBC. “There is no place or space for that. (Reuters)“We know how much it means to them and we know how much it hurts to lose, but there is a way to lose. Too many times we have seen that from Argentina. The reaction after the final whistle is terrible.”BBC pundit Hart said: “There was one man on the pitch who did have