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Four Argentina players and Spain’s Gavi received match bans for an altercation after the 2026 FIFA World Cup final. Leandro Paredes got a ten-match ban.
Argentina’s midfielder #05 Leandro Paredes (top) clashes with Spain’s midfielder #09 Gavi during the 2026 World Cup football tournament final match between Spain and Argentina at the New York/New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford on July 19, 2026.
(AFP)
Four Argentina international football stars and Spain midfielder Gavi have been given match bans of various lengths for their ugly altercation post the 2026 FIFA World Cup final. Spain won the final, overcoming a dogged fight from Argentina, with Ferran Torres netting a dramatic 106th-minute extra-time winner.
Midfielder Leandro Paredes has been suspended for ten matches — the most stringent — for grabbing Spain’s Eric Garcia by the throat and wrestling Gavi to the ground while holding his substitute’s bib. Known for his fiery demeanor, Paredes was given a red card after the match for the incident.
Apart from him, Nahuel Molina attempted to knock over Spain captain Rodri, hitting him on the stomach as the Manchester City midfielder was running to celebrate after the full-time whistle. Molina has been given a seven-match ban. Both Paredes and Molina have also been fined $90,000 (Rs. 8.6 crore approx) each.
Argentina coach Roberto Ayala also attempted to punch Dani Olmo in the face. He has been banned for three matches and fined $30,000 (Rs. 2.8 crore approx). Argentina midfielder Thiago Almada will also serve a one-match ban and pay a $30,000 fine for ‘unsporting behavior’, the same offence and punishment as Gavi.
Punishments for Argentina’s FA
Then, Argentina’s football association has been fined US$30,000 (Rs. 28.70 lakh) by FIFA over spectator misconduct during a match. The sanction includes a US$10,000 (Rs. 9.57 lakh) fine for the display of a Falkland Islands flag, which FIFA classified as using a sporting event to stage a non-sporting demonstration.
Following Argentina’s 2-1 victory over England in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-final, Argentine players displayed a political banner reading “The Malvinas are Argentine” (“The Falklands are Argentine”). The Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) are a self-governing British overseas territory claimed by Argentina, making it a sensitive political topic, which also affects sport.
Another US$100,000 (Rs. 95.67 lakh) fine for racist, homophobic and discriminatory chants and insults by Argentine fans during games against Cape Verde, Egypt, Switzerland, England and Spain has also been enforced.
FIFA has also ordered Argentina to partially close 50% of the stands, mainly behind the goals, for its next official home match. The sanction can be replaced by allowing approved community and special-interest groups to occupy half of the closed seats, subject to FIFA approval.
The Argentine Football Association is also ordered to invest the fine in an anti-discrimination programme within six months. A further US$91,000 (Rs. 87.06 lakh) fine was imposed over objects thrown onto the field, match delays and security protocol breaches during the Switzerland and England games.
Key Questions Answered
Ask News18Leandro Paredes’s ten-match ban is effectively a one-year expulsion from the Argentina team, as the FIFA calendar includes ten national team games through June 2027. This could impact Argentina’s future World Cup performance by removing a key player for an extended period.
Ask News18August 21, 2026, 8:26 PM IST
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