
August 21st, 2026
FIFA imposed sanctions on three Argentina players on Friday, including a 10-match ban for midfielder Leandro Paredes, for striking Spanish opponents in the aftermath of their World Cup final defeat.
The sanction imposed on Paredes — who grabbed Spain's Eric Garcia by the throat and pushed Gavi to the ground — is comparable to the FIFA punishment given to Uruguay forward Luis Suárez in 2014, ranking among the harshest in World Cup history.
Argentina defender Nahuel Molina has been handed a seven-match suspension, while Thiago Almada received a one-match ban.
FIFA has imposed fines of $90,000 on Paredes and Molina, and $30,000 on Almada.
The suspension imposed on Paredes effectively means a one-year exclusion from the Argentina squad, as the FIFA international match calendar includes ten fixtures for national teams up to June 2027.
All of those fixtures could be classified as exhibition matches, given that no competitive engagements are presently scheduled.
Gavi was additionally handed a one-match suspension, corresponding to Spain's Nations League fixture against England at Wembley on September 26.
Argentina's assistant coach, Roberto Ayala, was likewise handed a three-match suspension and fined $30,000.
The Argentine Football Association was fined $110,000 for a range of incidents during the World Cup, including players displaying a political banner about the Falkland Islands after their semifinal win against England, and discriminatory chants from fans.
The Argentine Football Association was also directed by FIFA to allocate $100,000 towards initiatives combating racism.
Argentina, for its part, received $34 million in prize money from FIFA for its World Cup triumph.
The AFA retains the right to appeal the extended sanctions and fines to FIFA, and subsequently, in all likelihood, to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
"The AFA legal department will promptly request from FIFA the reasons for the reviewable rulings so that it can file appeals with the governing body's appeal committee, while keeping open the option of appealing to the CAS as a last resort," the federation said in a statement.
In 2014, Suárez was handed a four-month suspension from all football, which also applied to his new club Barcelona, in addition to an eight-match ban from competitive fixtures for Uruguay, following his bite on Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini during a World Cup group-stage encounter in Brazil.
Paredes’ 10-game ban matches the one imposed on Croatia’s Josip Simunic in 2013 following a World Cup qualifying playoff victory.
Simunic had used a megaphone to incite fans into chanting a slogan associated with the country’s pro-Nazi regime during World War II.
The on-field altercations at last month's final in East Rutherford, New Jersey — which FIFA formally charged as assault cases — followed Argentina's loss in a contentious final to Spain, where they were largely outplayed and created few clear scoring chances.
Spain forward Ferran Torres netted the decisive goal during the second half of extra time, following the dismissal of Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez.
FIFA’s disciplinary committee also ruled that Argentina must play its next home fixture in a stadium operating at no more than 50% capacity.
A further stadium sanction and a $100,000 fine were suspended by FIFA, subject to a probationary period.
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August 21st, 2026

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