New Delhi, August 22: FIFA has imposed a 10-match ban on Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes for his involvement in a brawl with Spain following Argentina’s loss in the 2026 World Cup final. 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 to the ground after Argentina’s defeat. This punishment is one of the harshest in World Cup history, equating to 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 has also fined Paredes and Molina $90,000 each, while Almada faces a $30,000 fine. 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. All these matches could be friendlies, as no competitive matches are scheduled during that period. Spain’s midfielder Gavi has also been handed a one-match ban, which he will serve on September 26 against England at Wembley in the Nations League.
Argentina’s assistant coach Roberto Ayala has received a 3-match ban along with a $30,000 fine. The Argentine Football Association (AFA) has been fined $110,000 for several incidents during the tournament, including players displaying a political banner related to the Falkland Islands after their semi-final victory over England and discriminatory chants from supporters.
Argentina had received $33 million in prize money from FIFA for the World Cup. 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 occurs amid FIFA’s strict disciplinary measures regarding political gestures in football, as UEFA had previously banned Spanish players Rodri and Alvaro Morata for singing about Spain’s claims over Gibraltar after their victory in the Euro 2024 tournament.
On August 6, AFA announced that July 15, the day Argentina won against England in the semi-finals, should be celebrated as ‘National Football Team Day’ in the future. The federation has the option to appeal against the sanctions and fines, stating that it plans to challenge these decisions.
In a statement, the federation said, “AFA’s legal department will promptly request FIFA to provide the basis for these decisions for review, so an appeal can be filed before the governing body’s appeals committee, while also keeping the option open to appeal to CAS as a last resort.”
Paredes’ 10-match suspension is among the most severe in recent World Cup history. In 2014, Uruguay forward Luis Suarez was banned from all football activities for four months, while in 2013, Simunic was suspended for 10 matches for using a megaphone to incite fans with chants related to Croatia’s Nazi-supported 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 another stadium, and a $100,000 fine placed on probation.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.