Leandro Paredes breaks silence after grabbing Spain player by the throat in ugly scenes after World Cup final

Leandro Paredes has issued a statement following the ugly scenes that occurred after Argentina's 1-0 World Cup final defeat to Spain.

Ferran Torres scored the only goal of the game on 106 minutes to deny Argentina their second consecutive World Cup success.

But the losing side failed to have a shot on Unai Simon's goal prior to Spain's opener, and Enzo Fernandez reduced them to 10 men when he was shown two yellow cards in normal time.

Midfielder Paredes, who was introduced in the second half, was also shown to have been sent off after a series of incidents at full-time.

The 32-year-old had been booked during the match, but grabbed Spain defender Eric Garcia by the throat after the end of the match and wrestled Gavi to the ground.

FIFA recorded on their commentary reporting system that Paredes had been shown a second yellow card over the incident, but later clarified that this was done in error and the midfielder was in fact not sent off.

READ MORE: FIFA confirm Leandro Paredes' red card from World Cup final has been 'deleted'

Paredes could, however, face a three-match suspension for violent conduct after FIFA appointed a disciplinary and ethics official to investigate the incidents that occurred on the pitch following the World Cup final.

As well as Paredes' actions, Argentina team-mate Nahuel Molina appeared to punch Rodri in the stomach as he ran past him to celebrate, while assistant coach Roberto Ayala allegedly punched Dani Olmo in the face.

A number of Argentina stars, including Fernandez and captain Lionel Messi, have addressed their World Cup final defeat but have chosen to shy away from the incidents.

READ MORE: Enzo Fernandez breaks silence after brutal criticism over Argentina World Cup antics

'I write with a heavy heart...' - Paredes addresses Argentina's World Cup final loss

Paredes, meanwhile, has stated that it 'was an honour' to represent Argentina at the World Cup, describing them as the 'best Argentine national team in history'.

"THANK YOU ARGENTINA!! I LOVE YOU TODAY AND ALWAYS," he began.

"Today I write with a heavy heart for not being able to give you the joy our country so deserves. But my heart is bursting with pride for giving everything we had and raising our flag high once again!

"Thank you to everyone who was part of this team, to this group of players who gave their all to represent this jersey, just like they did until the very last second of every match!

"It was an honour to be part of the best Argentine national team in history!!"

The 32-year-old did not acknowledge the post-match incidents or issue an apology - but may be awaiting the outcome of FIFA's investigation before commenting.

In a statement announcing that they would look into the post-match scenes, FIFA said: "Following an assessment of the relevant match reports for the FIFA World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, and in line with Article 36 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code (FDC), the FIFA Disciplinary Committee has appointed a Disciplinary and Ethics Prosecutor to investigate potential breaches of the FDC with regards to the post-match incidents.

"Further details will be communicated by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee once the prosecutor's report has been completed."