Fifa bans Leandro Paredes for 10 matches and Nahuel Molina for seven over World Cup final brawl
Fifa has handed Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes a 10-match ban and his team-mate Nahuel Molina a seven-match suspension for their roles in the on-field clashes that followed Argentina's 1-0 defeat by Spain in the 2026 World Cup final.
Fifa come down hard after New York flashpoint
The world governing body's disciplinary committee moved decisively following the ugly scenes at the New York New Jersey Stadium after the final whistle, when multiple Argentina players and backroom staff became involved in altercations with Spain players.
Paredes, who plays his club football for Argentinian side Boca Juniors, grabbed Eric Garcia by the throat and wrestled Spain's Gavi to the ground, before appearing to strike the latter in the face. Molina, meanwhile, appeared to punch man of the match Rodri as the midfielder ran to celebrate Spain's triumph.
Alongside their bans, both Paredes and Molina have been ordered to pay fines of $90,000 (£66,000).
Further sanctions for players and staff
Gavi will serve a one-match suspension and pay a fine of $30,000 (£22,000) for his part in the post-match confrontations — even though the Spain midfielder said he did not think Paredes should be punished. Argentina's Thiago Almada received the same one-match ban and $30,000 fine.
There was also punishment for the Argentina bench. Roberto Ayala, a member of Argentina's coaching staff, has been given a three-match suspension and a fine of $30,000 for striking Spain's Dani Olmo in the face.
Fifa confirmed that the match suspensions will only be enforced in international fixtures.
Heavy fines and stadium sanctions for Argentina
The Argentinian Football Association (AFA) has been fined $321,000 (£235,000) for breaches of the Fifa disciplinary code relating to using a sports event for demonstrations of a non-sporting nature, team misconduct, and discriminatory chants and gestures by its supporters.
Fifa ordered that $100,000 (£73,000) of that fine must be invested in a plan to combat discrimination, while a further $100,000 (£73,000) is suspended, with a probationary period to apply.
Argentina have also been ordered to play their next two home matches at 50% capacity, though one match of that sanction is suspended.
Part of the punishment relates to events earlier in the tournament. After defeating England 2-1 in the World Cup semi-final, several Argentina players held up a banner claiming Argentine sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, a British overseas territory — a 'Las Malvinas son Argentinas' display that Fifa has now factored into its sanctions.
AFA to fight the sanctions
Last month, Fifa appointed a disciplinary and ethics prosecutor to assess what happened after the final whistle, and the governing body's verdict has now landed in full. The AFA has responded by saying it will appeal the sanctions and, if unsuccessful, will take its case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Analysis: A showpiece tarnished
There were many elements of Argentina's behaviour around the World Cup final that left a sour taste — now world governing body Fifa has come down hard on those it feels were responsible.
A 10-match ban for the experienced central midfielder Paredes and seven matches for Molina is a significant punishment, underlining how annoyed Fifa is at having its showpiece occasion, broadcast to an estimated 1.5bn people globally, tarnished by such awful scenes.
Argentina have been one of the world's best teams for some time. Today shows them to be one of the worst behaved.