Watch the images of the massive brawl between Argentina and Netherlands players during a World Cup quarter-finals clash, including Virgil van Dijk confronting Juventus midfielder Leandro Paredes.
It was a chaotic match at Lusail Stadium on Friday, with the Dutch, who recovered from two goals down, forcing Argentina to go through a penalty shootout to earn a spot in the World Cup semis.
There were at least two different incidents that raised tempers on the pitch. It all started with Juventus midfielder Paredes, who blasted the ball at the Dutch bench, infuriating the players and staff after a naughty foul on Nathan Ake at the end of the second half, with Argentina up 2-1.
Tension remained high throughout extra time and even during the penalty shootout, with Dutch players accused of disturbing their opponents preparing to take a spot kick.
Inter wing-back Denzel Dumfries was sent off after the match and failed to entirely clarify what happened, saying that ‘something’ made him react. Apparently, he even tried to disturb his Inter teammate Lautaro Martinez while he was preparing to take the decisive penalty kick.
The Argentineans were also upset by pre-match claims from Dutch coach Louis van Gaal which they found disrespectful. After the final whistle, former Juventus and Milan midfielder Edgar Davids had to separate Messi and the Dutch coach on the touchline.
Check out the pictures of the incidents below:
