August 22: FIFA has imposed a 10-match ban on Argentina’s midfielder Leandro Paredes due to his involvement in a brawl following the 2026 final loss to Spain.
This suspension means he will be sidelined from the national team for the next year.
Paredes was penalized for grabbing Spain’s defender Eric Garcia by the throat and bringing down Gavi after Argentina’s defeat. This sanction is among the harshest in World Cup history, matching the 10-match suspension given to Croatia’s Josip Simunic in 2013. Additionally, Argentina’s defender Nahuel Molina received a 7-match ban, while midfielder Thiago Almada was suspended for one match.
FIFA also imposed fines totaling $90,000 on Paredes and Molina, and $30,000 on Almada. According to FIFA’s international calendar, Argentina has 10 matches scheduled until June 2027, effectively making Paredes’ ban equivalent to a year-long absence from the national team. These matches are likely to be friendlies, as no competitive fixtures are planned during that period. Spain’s midfielder Gavi has also been handed a one-match ban, which he must serve on September 26 against England at Wembley in the Nations League.
Argentina’s assistant coach Roberto Ayala has received a 3-match ban and a fine of $30,000. The Argentine Football Association (AFA) has been fined $110,000 for various incidents during the tournament, including players displaying a politically charged banner related to the Falkland Islands after their semifinal victory over England and discriminatory chants from supporters.
Argentina earned $33 million in prize money from FIFA for their World Cup performance. At that time, UK politicians criticized the display of the Falkland Islands flag, with Liberal Democrats leader Ed Davey calling for the suspension of the involved players.
This incident highlights FIFA’s stringent disciplinary measures regarding political gestures in football, especially after UEFA previously banned Spanish players Rodri and Alvaro Morata for singing about Gibraltar following their Euro 2024 victory.
On August 6, the AFA announced that July 15, the day Argentina triumphed over England in the semifinals, should be celebrated as ‘National Football Team Day.’ The federation has the option to appeal against the sanctions and has expressed plans to challenge these decisions.
The AFA stated, “The legal department will promptly request FIFA to provide the basis for these decisions for potential review, allowing for an appeal to the governing body’s appeals committee, with the option to escalate to CAS as a final resort.”
Paredes’ 10-match suspension is one of the most severe in recent World Cup history. In 2014, Uruguay’s forward Luis Suarez was banned from all football activities for four months. In 2013, Simunic was suspended for 10 matches for using a megaphone to incite fans to chant related to Croatia’s Nazi-affiliated regime during World War II.
FIFA’s disciplinary committee has ordered Argentina to play their next home match at 50% stadium capacity, along with additional penalties related to stadium issues and a $100,000 fine under probation.