“I didn’t hit him,” the Argentine assistant coach reflects on his altercation with Dani Olmo.

Roberto Ayala wanted to clarify the incidents that occurred after the 2026 World Cup final between Argentina and Spain. The assistant coach of the Albiceleste denied having hit Dani Olmo while admitting that a scuffle had taken place after the final whistle. On Sunday, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, Argentina lost to Spain (0-1 after extra time) and saw its dream of retaining its world title evaporate. Ferran Torres scored the only goal of the match in the 106th minute, assisted by Nico Williams, giving La Roja its second world title.

Lionel Scaloni’s team went through a tough match, worsened by the red card shown to Enzo Fernández after a foul on Pau Cubarsí. Reduced to ten players for the entire extra time, the Albiceleste held on for a long time thanks to an imperious Emiliano Martínez, who made eleven saves, a record in a World Cup final. At the final whistle, Argentine frustration led to several scuffles involving players and members of both technical staffs. According to several media outlets, Roberto Ayala reportedly had a confrontation with Dani Olmo.

The former defender of the Albiceleste, however, dismissed the accusations that he had struck the Spanish midfielder. “It was more of a push than anything else. It wasn’t a punch, as some are trying to make it seem. If I run into Dani Olmo, I will personally apologize to him,” Ayala said, in remarks reported by El Partidazo de COPE. An iconic figure in Argentine football, Roberto Ayala played in three World Cups (1998, 2002, and 2006). His last appearance in the tournament was in 2006, where he played alongside Lionel Scaloni and a young Lionel Messi, before Argentina’s elimination against Germany in the quarter-finals after a penalty shootout.