FIFA has announced disciplinary sanctions against several Argentina and Spain players following the ugly scenes that erupted after the 2026 FIFA World Cup final on July 19.
Argentina lost the final 1-0 to Spain after Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal in extra time. The match at the New York-New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, was followed by a confrontation involving players and members of Argentina’s coaching staff.
The most severe punishment was handed to Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes, who has been suspended for 10 international matches and fined $90,000.
FIFA’s disciplinary proceedings found that Paredes was involved in multiple incidents during the post-match confrontation, including an altercation with Spanish players. His suspension will apply to Argentina’s national-team matches rather than his club fixtures.
Molina, Almada and Gavi also punished
Argentina defender Nahuel Molina received a seven-match international ban and a $90,000 fine.
Meanwhile, Argentina midfielder Thiago Almada was suspended for one match and fined $30,000. Argentina assistant coach Roberto Ayala was also punished with a three-match suspension and a $30,000 fine.
Spain midfielder Gavi was the only Spanish player sanctioned. He received a one-match ban and a $30,000 fine for unsporting behaviour.
Together, the Argentina players and coaching staff received a total of 21 international match suspensions.
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Argentina Football Association fined $321,000
The penalties were not limited to individuals. FIFA also imposed approximately $321,000 in fines on the Argentine Football Association (AFA) for several disciplinary violations during the tournament.
The sanctions covered more than the final-day confrontation. FIFA cited issues including discriminatory chants and gestures by supporters, team misconduct, security-related breaches and the display of a political banner.
One of the issues involved a banner displayed after Argentina’s semi-final victory over England that read “Las Malvinas son Argentinas,” referring to Argentina’s claim over the Falkland Islands.
FIFA has also ordered $100,000 of the fine to be directed toward an anti-discrimination programme. In addition, Argentina will have to play its next two home national-team matches with stadium capacity restricted to 50%, although part of the sanction has been suspended under a probationary period.
Sanctions could affect Argentina’s next fixtures
The lengthy suspensions could have a significant impact on Argentina’s national team in its upcoming international fixtures.
Paredes will miss as many as 10 Argentina matches, while Molina will be unavailable for seven. Because the sanctions apply to national-team games, they do not prevent the players from representing their respective clubs.
The AFA has requested FIFA’s detailed reasoning behind the decisions and has the option to challenge the sanctions through the available appeal process.
FIFA had opened disciplinary proceedings shortly after the final following a review of reports concerning the incidents. The governing body said its disciplinary committee conducted an assessment before issuing the latest punishments.
The sanctions bring a formal conclusion to FIFA’s disciplinary action over the post-final confrontation, while also adding further consequences for Argentina over conduct and supporter-related incidents during the tournament.
