Spain's Ferran Torres, a World Cup final winner, said he had turned the page on the Argentina national team players, despite three of them being subject to FIFA investigations over an assault following the final match.
Spain claimed the second world title in their history by beating Argentina 1-0, Torres scoring the goal. The final whistle sparked a brawl between the players. Argentina's Leandro Paredes was seen grabbing Eric Garcia by the neck and knocking Gavi to the ground.
Paredes refuses to apologise for the incident and now faces investigation by FIFA's disciplinary committee, along with teammate Nahuel Molina and assistant coach Roberto Ayala. Thiago Almada and Spain's Gavi are also under review, though to a lesser extent.
FIFA stated in a statement: "In accordance with the disciplinary regulations, the accused were given the opportunity to present their position, and the disciplinary committee will issue its decision in due course."
The incidents attributed to Paredes, Molina and Ayala are considered the most serious and could lead to lengthy suspensions. FIFA are also investigating the Argentine Football Association over allegations of breaching the regulations in several matches during the tournament.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni tried to calm the situation, but the brawl still brought Spain's celebrations to a temporary halt. Torres told NBC: "This kind of situation is unacceptable, but it can happen when you lose a World Cup final, as emotions run high, and Argentina always have a lot of passion. We forgive them, and we hope it will not happen again."
"The moment my teammates ran towards me was more thrilling than the moment I scored the goal," Torres added. The players celebrated on the pitch before President Donald Trump handed the trophy to captain Rodri. Trump then refused to leave the stage, prompting the Spain team to edit him out of the photos as they lifted the trophy.
Torres's triumph comes after he was criticised following the goalless draw against Cape Verde in the tournament's opener, and he ended the competition as a champion. The player had previously moved to Manchester City and won the Premier League before returning to Spain. He has since undergone sessions with a sports psychologist and put in an outstanding season with Barcelona before the World Cup.
Torres commented: "We have to take care of our mental health because it is the most important thing. We are aware of the amount of pressure around us, and we must talk about it because it is not a good thing."