River Plate has been eliminated from Club World Cup, after a 2-0 defeat against Inter Milan. A result like that would have been enough, but Monterrey thrashed Japanese club Urawa Reds 4-0, leaving the Argentinian giants from Buenos Aires out of the competition. Even a 1-1 wouldn't have worked. And the match ended with controversy, with a brawl at the end between Marcos Acuña and Denzel Dumfries.
The feud between both players comes from the 2022 World Cup, when Dumfries, playing for the Netherlands, made a foul to Acuña that was punished by a penalty and then a second goal by Argentina. Tensions were high between the players, with some Argentinian players mocking the Dutchman back then (as reported by Argentinian newspaper La Nación) and that resentment has been carried for three years, exploding at the Club World Cup as tables turned and it was Dumfries, with the Italian club, the one that eliminated the Argentinians.
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When the final whistle came, Acuña chased down Dumfries, who ran away to the dressing room, without stopping to celebrate. Acuña's teammates at River Plate and even a security guard had to stop him, otherwise this could have ended much worse. The scene, with a somewhat comedic effect, was the subject of memes online, many laughing at Acuña's short stature (1.72m, 5.80 ft) compared to Dumfries (1.88m, 5.97 ft).
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"River Plate exited the Club World Cup in the worst possible way. Not only did they fail to match the Italian powerhouse, but they also failed to learn how to lose", the Argentinian outlet said, embarrassed by the attitude of the "millonario" player.