Defender Leandro Paredes faces the most severe disciplinary action, receiving a 10-match suspension and a US$90,000 fine. The three charges against him stem from violations of Article 14, paragraph 1(i) of the FIFA Disciplinary Code (covering incidents of aggression). Credit: Bryan Berlin / CC-BY-SA-4.0
FIFA has suspended three Argentine players and an assistant coach for a combined 21 international matches after the confrontation that followed Argentina’s 1-0 defeat to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final. Leandro Paredes received 10 matches, Nahuel Molina, seven; Thiago Almada, one; and Roberto Ayala, three. Spain midfielder Pablo Martin Paez Gavira, known as Gavi, also received a one-match suspension.
FIFA announced the decisions on Aug. 21, following its review of incidents at the final on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium. The governing body also sanctioned the Argentine Football Association (AFA) for separate violations during the tournament.
Suspended Argentine players and their fines
Paredes received a 10-match suspension and a US$90,000 fine. Molina received seven matches and a US$90,000 fine, while Almada received one match and a US$30,000 fine. Ayala, an Argentina team official, received a three-match suspension and a US$30,000 fine. Gavi received one match and a US$30,000 fine.
FIFA’s disciplinary process distinguished between the conduct attributed to each person. The governing body had opened assault proceedings against Paredes, Molina, and Ayala. Paredes faced three assault counts, while Molina faced two assault counts, one involving an attempted offense. FIFA also opened an unsporting-behavior case against Molina and Almada, as well as one against Gavi.
The final decisions produced different suspensions according to those offenses. Paredes received the longest ban, followed by Molina. Almada and Gavi received one-match suspensions, while Ayala received three matches.
The suspensions apply to the players’ and Ayala’s next matches for their national teams. They do not extend to club competitions. FIFA’s disciplinary code carries international match bans over to subsequent matches involving the relevant representative teams.
The final clash led to separate disciplinary cases
Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 on July 19 in the World Cup final. The incidents examined by FIFA occurred during the confrontation that followed the match.
The disciplinary committee did not treat the episode as one collective offense. It assessed individual cases against Paredes, Molina, Almada, Ayala, and Gavi and imposed separate sanctions. The different charges explain why the players and officials received different penalties.
FIFA’s decision followed a report from its appointed Disciplinary and Ethics Prosecutor. The committee reviewed the cases before issuing the sanctions on Aug. 21.
The disciplinary action, therefore, concerns specific conduct attributed to individual participants rather than a general punishment for everyone involved in the post-match confrontation.
The player suspensions came alongside a separate US$321,000 fine against AFA. FIFA cited breaches involving the use of a sporting event for a nonsporting demonstration, team misconduct, discrimination and racist abuse, and order and security at matches. The discrimination charge followed discriminatory chants and gestures by Argentina supporters.
AFA must also restrict attendance to 50% of stadium capacity for its next two home matches. FIFA ordered US$100,000 of the fine to fund a plan to combat discrimination.
FIFA suspended part of those penalties. One of the two home-match restrictions and the US$100,000 portion of the fine will not take effect during a probationary period unless the conditions for activating the suspended sanctions arise.
The association’s punishment covers incidents from different matches during the World Cup and remains separate from the individual sanctions arising from the final.
Argentina can appeal the FIFA decisions
The AFA and the other parties received FIFA’s decisions on Aug. 21. Under the disciplinary rules, they have 10 days to request the decision, which would provide the committee’s full reasoning. FIFA said the decisions remain subject to appeal.
That process could affect the final duration of the suspensions. Unless an appeal changes the decisions, Paredes will miss Argentina’s next 10 national-team matches, Molina will miss seven, Almada one, and Ayala three.
AFA must also comply with the separate financial and attendance penalties unless its appeal changes those measures. FIFA’s decision, therefore, leaves Argentina with disciplinary consequences affecting both its players and its federation after the World Cup final.