Following the defeat to Spain, Parades issued a statement on the World Cup for Argentina but there was no apology in there even after his role in the huge post-match brawl. Despite reports of a cracked rib, he has returned to full training with Boca but their medical department are expected to carry out additional assessments ahead of a busy run of fixtures.
“Back home. Our captain,” Boca Juniors posted on social media with an accompanying photograph of Paredes, a cordial greeting that contrasts sharply with the backlash the midfielder encountered following Argentina’s 1-0 extra-time loss to Spain in Sunday’s final.
The club subsequently confirmed the positive news regarding his fitness, stating he trained as normal and asked to be considered for selection on Thursday, while appearing set to feature in the starting line-up. Paredes’ swift return comes mere days after his behaviour following Argentina’s World Cup final defeat attracted considerable condemnation.
The 32-year-old was embroiled in a heated post-match altercation with Spain’s players, forming part of a wider physical confrontation that also included Argentina team-mates Nahuel Molina and Nicolas Otamendi. Paredes was observed seizing Spain’s Eric Garcia by the neck and sending Gavi tumbling to the ground during the melee.
BBC pundit Joe Hart heavily condemned the actions of Parades and his teammates after the final. He said: “The game’s done. They could have absolutely no complaints about what happened today. Disgusting behaviour.” Wayne Rooney added: “Does it surprise you? It doesn’t surprise me.
“We’ve seen this with Argentina before. It’s just not the reaction you want. We’ve seen some of the reaction after knocking England out in the last round. That’s just sad. If you lose a game of football, be graceful and get out of there. It’s really poor from them.”
It was hardly the first occasion Paredes has found himself embroiled in controversy on the football pitch. During the 2022 World Cup quarter-final against the Netherlands, he executed a dangerous late challenge on Nathan Ake before intentionally hammering the ball towards the Dutch bench which saw Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk aggressively bump him to the floor.