FIFA has imposed disciplinary sanctions on three Argentina players following a series of on-field altercations during the World Cup final against Spain in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Midfielder Leandro Paredes received a 10-match suspension, a penalty that ranks among the most severe in tournament history, alongside notable past sanctions like those issued to Luis Suárez in 2014 and Josip Šimunić in 2013.
The disciplinary action stems from physical confrontations at the end of the match, which FIFA officials categorized as assault. During the incident, Paredes was observed grabbing Spain’s Eric García by the throat and pushing Gavi to the ground. Gavi also received a one-game ban, which he will serve during Spain’s upcoming Nations League match against England at Wembley on September 26.
In addition to Paredes, defender Nahuel Molina was issued a seven-game suspension, while Thiago Almada received a one-game ban. Financial penalties were also levied: Paredes and Molina were each fined $90,000, while Almada was fined $30,000. Argentina coach Roberto Ayala was also penalized with a three-game ban and a $30,000 fine. For Paredes, the 10-game suspension effectively removes him from the national team roster for one year, covering the current FIFA schedule through June 2027.
The Argentine Football Association (AFA) faces further consequences, including a $110,000 fine related to multiple incidents during the tournament. These included fans engaging in discriminatory chanting and players displaying a political banner concerning the Falkland Islands following their semifinal victory over England. The governing body has also ordered the AFA to invest $100,000 into anti-racism initiatives.
Beyond individual and financial penalties, FIFA ordered Argentina to limit capacity at its next home match to 50%. A second stadium sanction and an additional $100,000 fine remain under a probationary period. Argentina, which received $34 million in prize money for the tournament, saw its final match end in a loss to Spain, with Ferran Torres scoring the lone goal after Argentina’s Enzo Fernández was sent off.
The AFA has signaled its intent to challenge the rulings. In a formal statement, the federation confirmed that its legal department is requesting the grounds for the decisions from FIFA to prepare appeals. The AFA intends to utilize the governing body’s appeal committee and retains the right to escalate the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) as a final recourse. The report also notes that all of those games could be friendlies with no competitive games currently scheduled. The report also notes that in 2014, Suárez was banned from all soccer for four months, including for his new club Barcelona, and eight more competition games for Uruguay for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini in a World Cup group stage game in Brazil. The report also notes that šimunić used a megaphone to lead fans chanting a slogan used by the country’s pro-Nazi regime during World War II.
