The Argentina national team has set an unwanted record in World Cup history after midfielder Enzo Fernandez was sent off during the 2026 World Cup final against Spain.
Fernandez received a second yellow card following a reckless tackle on Pau Cubarsi in midfield, resulting in a red card in the final minute of regulation time. The ejection forced La Albiceleste to navigate extra time with ten men.
With this ejection, Argentina has become the most red-carded team in World Cup finals history, reaching three total dismissals and surpassing France, which has seen two red cards in finals.
Argentina’s first two red cards occurred during the 1990 World Cup final against West Germany, when Pedro Monzon and teammate Gustavo Dezotti were both sent off in a match that ended in a 1-0 defeat for the South Americans. Monzon became the first player ever sent off in a World Cup final, while Dezotti joined him later in the same match, making Argentina the first team to finish a final with nine players.
Prior to 2026, World Cup finals had witnessed five red cards: Monzon and Dezotti (1990), France’s Marcel Desailly against Brazil (1998), Zinedine Zidane against Italy (2006), and the Netherlands’ John Heitinga against Spain (2010).
Including Enzo Fernandez’s dismissal, the total number of red cards in World Cup finals history has now risen to six, encompassing both direct red cards and dismissals following a second yellow.
