As the final whistle blew in New Jersey, a few Argentina players – including Lionel Messi – slumped to the turf.
Others stood there motionless as Spain’s players raced across the pitch in jubilation.
Rodri, who had been substituted in extra-time, ran over from the dugout to join his team-mates.
As the Manchester City midfielder went past Molina, the Argentina defender appeared to punch Rodri on the arm or stomach.
This was the fuse which ignited the trouble.
Rodri confronted Molina, but it was the Argentina player who thrust forward in an aggressive manner.
Garcia ran over to back up his team-mate at which point Paredes got involved too, jabbing Garcia in the throat.
Unused substitute Gavi tried to intervene, only to be forced to the ground by Almada.
Paredes then pushed Gavi to the floor by putting his hand in the Spaniard’s face.
Ayala then looked to be holding Garcia around the throat. He then appeared to strike Spain midfielder Dani Olmo.
“Paredes threw two or three haymakers into someone’s face. He went for them,” Alan Shearer said on BBC One’s coverage. “There is no place or space for that.
“We know how much it means to them and we know how much it hurts to lose, but there is a way to lose. Too many times we have seen that from Argentina. The reaction after the final whistle is terrible.”
Joe Hart added: “The game’s done, they can have absolutely no complaints about what happened today. Disgusting behaviour.”
But Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni, who had attempted to calm the situation, appeared to play down the incidents in his post-match interview.
“We are gracious in victory, and we must be gracious in defeat,” he said. “Today, we are showing that we know how to lose.
“We lost the match, and we accept it, but that doesn’t mean we stop living or forget everything we did to get here.”