Ex-refs chief blasts World Cup final officials after ‘harsh’ decision in Spain vs Argentina
Referee Slavko Vincic made an error in Spain’s 1-0 victory in the World Cup final against Argentina after he elected to disallow Nico Williams’ goal.
That is according to former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA referee, Keith Hackett, who exclusively told Football Insider that VAR should have intervened and advised the officials to allow the goal to stand.
Williams had thought he had given Spain the lead after 96 minutes when he bundled the ball into the net in extra time.
However, in the build-up, Mikel Merino appeared to stamp on Nicolas Otamendi’s foot, which may have convinced the referee to disallow the goal.
In the end, the decision did not matter as Ferran Torres went on to score the winner for Spain 10 minutes later.
Nevertheless, Williams was still denied the chance to score a winner in the World Cup final, and upon reviewing the footage, Hackett believes the officials have come to the wrong decision.
Keith Hackett: Nico Williams’ goal vs Argentina should have stood
Upon reviewing the footage of the incident, the former referee exclusively told Football Insider: “We have seen many incidents like this where a player’s foot lands on his opponent’s foot, going unpunished.
“The referee was in a good position to make his judgment. It was harsh.
“I do think that VAR should have intervened. I would not expect that goal to be disallowed.”
Nevertheless, Argentina were still unable to avoid defeat on Sunday as Spain lifted their second-ever World Cup and added a second star to their badge.
What were the stats in Spain vs Argentina?
Stats-wise, Spain absolutely battered Argentina.
According to BBC Sport, the Spanish had 65.1 per cent possession, 20 shots, 12 of which were on target, nine corners and a 1.94 xG.
In comparison, Argentina had just two shots, the first of which came in the 117th minute, zero shots on target, 34.9 per cent possession, four corners and a 0.22 xG.
Therefore, many would argue that the South American side were deserved losers in the end, with their plan to play for penalties clearly not paying off.
Now, it remains to be seen if the Spanish stars can continue this form for their clubs heading into the start of the 2026-27 campaign.