FIFA has handed Leandro Paredes a 10-match international suspension and a $90,000 fine following the post-match confrontation between Argentina and Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, while the Argentine Football Association (AFA) has been fined $321,000 and ordered to restrict attendance at its next two home internationals.
The disciplinary ruling, announced by FIFA on August 21, brings severe consequences for several players and officials involved in incidents surrounding the World Cup final played on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium.
Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 after extra time to win the World Cup, but the match was followed by a confrontation involving players and officials from both sides.
FIFA’s investigation subsequently resulted in suspensions, financial penalties and stadium restrictions.
Paredes received the heaviest individual punishment, with FIFA imposing a 10-match suspension and a $90,000 fine.
Nahuel Molina was given a seven-match suspension and a $90,000 fine, while Argentina midfielder Thiago Almada received a one-match suspension and a $30,000 fine.
Argentine team official Roberto Ayala was also suspended for three matches and fined $30,000.Spain were not completely spared.
Pablo Martín Páez Gavira, commonly known as Gavi, was handed a one-match suspension and a $30,000 fine for unsporting behaviour.
FIFA’s earlier disciplinary update had identified Gavi alongside the Argentine players as being under investigation over the final’s incidents.
The sanctions mean the affected players will carry their suspensions into upcoming matches for their respective national teams.
FIFA said the match bans are transferred to the next fixtures of the relevant representative teams under Article 69 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code.
The punishment therefore extends beyond the World Cup and could significantly affect both Argentina and Spain during their next international engagements.
The AFA has also been hit with a substantial financial penalty.
FIFA fined the Argentine federation $321,000 for several breaches of its disciplinary regulations, including discriminatory chants and gestures by supporters, team misconduct, security and match-order violations, and other inappropriate conduct during the World Cup.
FIFA has further ordered that $100,000 of the fine be invested in a programme aimed at combating discrimination.
Argentina will additionally be required to play its next two home matches with spectators restricted to 50 per cent of stadium capacity.
However, FIFA suspended part of the punishment: one of those two matches and $100,000 of the fine are subject to a probationary period.
That means the suspended portion can remain inactive provided the relevant conditions are met.The disciplinary action follows an investigation that began after FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee received a report from its appointed Disciplinary and Ethics Prosecutor.
The initial investigation identified potential offences ranging from assault to unsporting behaviour. Paredes faced three alleged assault charges, while Molina faced two assault-related charges and an additional unsporting-behaviour charge.
Ayala was investigated over an alleged assault, while Almada and Gavi were investigated for unsporting behaviour.
The confrontation came at the end of a dramatic World Cup final in which Spain eventually claimed a second men’s World Cup title.
Argentina, the reigning world champions entering the tournament, were beaten 1-0 after extra time in New Jersey, with Spain maintaining control of the match before securing victory.
FIFA has notified the affected parties of its decisions, but the disciplinary process is not necessarily over.
The parties have 10 days to request the motivated decisions, after which the detailed decisions can be published.
FIFA also confirmed that the sanctions are subject to appeal under Article 61 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, leaving the door open for the affected players, officials and federation to challenge the punishments.
The ruling therefore turns the aftermath of the World Cup final into a major disciplinary story of its own.
Paredes faces the longest suspension, Molina follows with seven matches, while Almada, Ayala and Gavi have also been punished.
For Argentina, the consequences extend beyond individual players, with a major fine, anti-discrimination obligations and reduced home support adding another chapter to a World Cup campaign that ended with Spain lifting the trophy.
