FIFA's Disciplinary Committee imposed a package of sanctions on the Argentine Football Association and members of the national team over separate incidents during the 2026 World Cup. The measures combine fines, spectator restrictions, a specific anti-discrimination obligation and individual suspensions affecting three Argentine players and one member of the coaching staff. The decisions were formally notified to all parties concerned.
The AFA must answer for fines totalling USD 321,000. The violations cover using a sporting event for manifestations unrelated to sport, improper team conduct, discrimination and racist abuse connected with chants and gestures by supporters, as well as failures involving order and safety at matches. The ruling places those actions under articles 13, 14, 15 and 17 of FIFA's Disciplinary Code.
The institutional sanction also orders Argentina to play their next two home matches with attendance restricted to 50 per cent. Part of the measure, however, was suspended for a probationary period: one of those matches and USD 100,000 of the fine. The obligation therefore remains within the decision, but that portion will not be enforced immediately while the established conditions are respected.
In addition, USD 100,000 of the total amount must be invested in a plan designed to fight discrimination. That allocation is not a separate charge but a compulsory use of part of the USD 321,000 imposed. The combination of a financial penalty, reduced capacity and a preventive programme shows that the case does not simply punish past conduct; it also demands a verifiable institutional response.
The individual penalties arose from incidents following the final contested by Spain and Argentina on 19 July at New York New Jersey Stadium. Leandro Paredes received a ten-match suspension and a USD 90,000 fine. Nahuel Molina was banned for seven matches and fined the same amount. Thiago Almada must serve a one-match suspension and pay USD 30,000.
Roberto Ayala, a member of Argentina's coaching staff, was sanctioned for three matches and USD 30,000. The decision also included Spain's Pablo Martín Páez Gavira, who received a one-match suspension and a USD 30,000 fine. Under article 69, all match suspensions carry over to the next fixtures of the relevant national teams and are therefore not confined to the completed World Cup.
The parties have ten days to request the grounds of the decision; if such a request is made, the written ruling will be published on FIFA's legal portal. The sanctions may also be appealed under article 61 of the Disciplinary Code. Unless a later proceeding alters them, Argentina must plan the immediate calendar around player absences, attendance restrictions and the financial and preventive duties now imposed.
