Joe Hart brands Paredes 'pathetic' for trying to get Kane sent off in World Cup semi-final

Leandro Paredes drew widespread condemnation after attempting to get Harry Kane sent off for covering his mouth during Argentina’s World Cup semi-final against England in Atlanta, with former England goalkeeper Joe Hart branding the move “pathetic”.

The incident occurred in a foul-laden first half when Kane briefly covered his mouth while speaking to referee Ismail Elfath — not during a confrontation with an opponent. Paredes nonetheless approached the official to complain, seeking to exploit a new rule introduced before the tournament that mandates an immediate red card for players who cover their mouths during verbal confrontations with opponents. Ecuador’s Piero Hincapie and Paraguay’s Miguel Almiron had both been dismissed under the same rule earlier in the competition.

Kane appeared bemused by Paredes’s intervention, and Hart was unsparing in his assessment. “Pathetic,” the former goalkeeper said. “He was talking to the referee. He was trying to be clear. It’s so difficult to communicate out there. Harry Kane’s just trying to have a conversation with the referee. I get it — of course they’re going to do anything they can to win this game. If you’re going to go letter of the law and you see that, but come on, just win the game by scoring more goals.”

The attempted dismissal was part of a wider pattern from the holders in the opening 45 minutes. Argentina committed 12 fouls in the first half but were shown only one yellow card, with Lisandro Martinez the sole Argentine booked.

Wayne Rooney, also on punditry duty, urged England to stay disciplined in the face of what he described as a deliberate strategy. “Argentina would have definitely spoken about this before the game: ‘Let’s get into Jude [Bellingham], try and wind him up, try and make him get a yellow card, try and get him sent off’,” Rooney said. “It’s really important that we don’t take that bait. We have to be clever enough not to be involved. When there’s a tackle there, go and win it with force, but do not react badly to it — the Argentina team do this a lot.”

Despite the provocation, Thomas Tuchel’s England side were praised by both Hart and Rooney for their composure, with the pundits delighted at how the Three Lions had so far refused to be drawn into Argentina’s physical and psychological game.