FIFA's Disciplinary Committee has handed out bans and fines to four members of the Argentine national squad, an assistant coach, and the Argentine Football Association (AFA) itself, following incidents at the 2026 World Cup final and a politically charged banner displayed during the tournament. The rulings, announced on Friday, draw a line under one of the most turbulent post-match episodes in recent World Cup history.
The heaviest individual penalty fell on midfielder Leandro Paredes, who was banned for ten international matches and fined $90,000 for grabbing Spain's Eric García by the throat and wrestling Gavi to the ground in the chaotic scenes at the final whistle of Spain's 1-0 victory at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19. Defender Nahuel Molina received a seven-match ban and an identical $90,000 fine for his confrontation with Rodri, while forward Thiago Almada was suspended for one match and fined $30,000. Assistant coach Roberto Ayala — a former international defender — was banned for three matches and fined $30,000 over an incident involving Dani Olmo. On the Spanish side, only Gavi was sanctioned, receiving a one-match ban and a $30,000 fine.
The AFA's total financial penalty stands at $321,000, of which $100,000 is suspended. The largest portion relates to racist, homophobic and discriminatory chanting by Argentine supporters across five matches — against Cape Verde, Egypt, Switzerland, England and Spain — resulting in a $100,000 fine plus a further $100,000 suspended for six months. Additional sums cover objects thrown onto the pitch in matches against Switzerland and England, a delayed kick-off and security protocol failures. The federation has also been ordered to close 50% of its stands at the next official home match, with an equivalent measure suspended for one year; alternatively, those seats may be filled by community groups under anti-discrimination conditions. The AFA must also channel the fine into an FIFA-approved anti-discrimination programme within six months.
The politically sensitive Falklands banner — which read