Victim of the final's assault... A surprising statement from Gavi about punishing Argentina's players

Gavi has played down the controversy that followed the World Cup final against Argentina, insisting he sees no need to suspend the Argentina players despite the clashes that marred the closing moments.

The Barcelona midfielder was speaking at a ceremony held to honour him and his teammate Fabian Ruiz in their hometown of Los Palacios y Villafranca, days after Spain were crowned world champions.

Gavi found himself in the thick of the altercation that erupted after the final whistle at the New York stadium. He had stepped in to defend a teammate, only for Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes to shove him to the ground.

Even so, the Spain international refused to call for further sanctions against the Argentina players. "If I'm honest, I don't think they should be suspended," he said.

Speaking in comments published by Spanish newspaper "Marca" today, Tuesday, he added: "I understand that what happened doesn't set a good example for children, but football also involves an element of friction and violence. For me, it was normal for the player to be sent off during the match, but in the end I see these things as part of football."

FIFA moved earlier today to open an investigation into potential disciplinary breaches by the Argentina national team, following their defeat to Spain in the World Cup final.

Several Argentina players and members of the coaching staff face strict sanctions if found guilty, and the Argentine Football Association risks another financial fine.

FIFA said in an official statement: "Following an assessment of the relevant match reports concerning the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, and in line with Article 36 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, the Disciplinary Committee has appointed a disciplinary and ethics prosecutor to investigate potential breaches of the Code relating to the post-match events. Further details will be communicated by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee once the prosecutor's report is completed."

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