A Shocking Admission from Scaloni's Assistant After Olmo's Punch in the World Cup Final

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Did Ayala spark a crisis with the Spain national team star?

The pitch at the 2026 World Cup final descended into chaos after the final whistle, with fights breaking out everywhere. At the centre of one of the most controversial moments stood Roberto Fabián Ayala, Lionel Scaloni's assistant. Now he has finally broken his silence over what happened with Spanish star Dani Olmo.

Speaking for the first time since the incident, Ayala admitted his deep regret over his actions after Argentina's 1-0 defeat to Spain in the final. He is ready, he confirmed, to apologise to the Spanish player in person.

Ayala told Valencia Capital Radio: "I regret it. Because of the position I hold, I cannot allow my emotions, or whatever I may receive from the other party, to change my mood and control my actions. That is why I regret it."

The former Valencia legend refused to reveal what had been said to him on the pitch to provoke his behaviour. He played the whole thing down. "For me, we should put an end to it and leave it there. It was just a shove more than anything else, it was not a punch as some are trying to portray it."

Now 55, the former defender who wore the Racing shirt in his early days added: "It was a reaction to something that was said to me, but it's over. If I meet him, of course I will apologise to him personally."

Keen to justify his presence in the thick of it, Ayala insisted his intention had been to calm things down, not stir them up. "It is regrettable and we must take responsibility for our actions on the pitch. When the match ended I saw a scuffle in the middle of the pitch, so we tried to go and pull our players away and end it that way, because we are not like that."

Boca Juniors midfielder Leandro Paredes also clashed with Spain's players. On that, Scaloni's assistant was blunt: "I take responsibility for what I did, my intention was to go and separate the players, that was my true intention."

He went on: "Sometimes you face things that happen and your heartbeat is at its maximum, and this is not an excuse, and because of my position my behaviour should be different no matter what I hear. Eric García was there too and I simply told him that I came in to separate and to congratulate only."

His words land at a delicate moment. FIFA have just announced a full disciplinary investigation and appointed a special investigator to examine everything that followed the 2026 World Cup final. The Ayala and Olmo clash was only part of it. Nahuel Molina also threw a punch at his teammate Rodri as Spain began celebrating the title.