Spain defender Aymeric Laporte believes referees should do more to control Argentina’s physical style of play ahead of Sunday’s FIFA World Cup final, saying too many have been allowed to pass unpunished in recent matches. Speaking to Spanish newspaper Marca, Laporte said he has no problem with offensive football as long as authorities consistently enforce the laws.

Spain will face Lionel Messi’s Argentina in the World Cup final after defeating France 2-0 in the semi-finals, while the defending champions defeated England 2-1 to book their place in the title match. As the countdown to the final accelerates, Laporte admitted Spain are wary of Argentina’s combative attitude but insisted the responsibility rests with the referee.

“I have no problem with aggression if it’s within football and the referee does his job,” Laporte told Marca.

“It’s true that in recent matches we have seen things that have surprised us, especially involving Argentina. They are a team that give up a lot on challenges and I don’t think that should be allowed, especially in such big competitions.”

The former Manchester City defender argued that repeatedly allowing heavy challenges could affect the rhythm of the game and lead to flare-ups unnecessary conflict between players.

“Those actions can upset you and make you angry. I think it’s part of the referee’s job to control those situations. If one or two players are allowed to do that, the match becomes chaotic,” he said.

Laporte compared Argentina’s style to Spain’s own approach, and described Luis de la Fuente’s side as Relies on discipline rather than intimidation.

“Since the beginning of the tournament we have been a very fair team. We are not one of those players who try to hurt opponents or commit fouls carelessly. We have to stay true to that, but a lot depends on the referee. There has to be someone who controls those actions so that it is football and nothing else.”

half mission

Laporte also revealed that Spain deliberately kept the celebrations low-key after eliminating France because the team believes the work is not finished yet.

He said, “When we beat France, we celebrated in the dressing room, but it was not crazy because our aim is not to beat France but to win the tournament. Only completing half the mission is not enough for us.”

The centre-back said Spain have maintained the same mentality throughout the competition, despite entering the tournament with lower expectations than some of the favourites.

“A lot of people didn’t believe in us from the beginning, but we believed in ourselves. Anything other than winning would be a disappointment for us.”

praise messi

Laporte also had warm words for Argentina captain Lionel Messi, calling the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner one of football’s all-time greats, while expressing hope that Spain will have a fairy-tale ending.

“He’s been a legend since we were kids. We’ve all seen videos of Leo. He’s an incredible footballer and we’ve all enjoyed watching him over the years. But now I hope it’s not for him. I hope it’s for us.”

Spain is attempting to win its second World Cup title, while Argentina are aiming to successfully defend the title they won in Qatar four years ago.

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