FIFA has handed down multi-match suspensions and heavy fines to Argentine and Spanish players following altercations after the World Cup final in New Jersey.
The Argentine Football Association was also hit with a $321,000 fine and ordered to limit stadium capacity for upcoming home games following a FIFA Disciplinary Committee investigation into post-match fights and spectator misconduct.
Player suspensions and financial penalties
Midfielder Leandro Paredes received the heaviest individual penalty, facing a 10-match ban and a $90,000 fine. Defender Nahuel Molina was handed a seven-match ban alongside a $90,000 fine, while forward Thiago Almada received a one-match suspension and a $30,000 fine.
Former international defender Roberto Ayala, who serves on head coach Lionel Scaloni's technical staff for Argentina, was suspended for three matches and fined $30,000. Spanish midfielder Pablo Martin Paez, known as Gavi, received a one-match ban and a $30,000 fine. FIFA specified that all individuals must serve their suspensions during their national teams' upcoming official fixtures.
Post-match altercations at MetLife Stadium
The disciplinary proceedings stemmed from events at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey after Spain secured a 1-0 victory over Argentina in extra time through a goal scored by Ferran. FIFA opened an official investigation on July 29 after conducting what the governing body described as a rigorous analysis of the incidents.
According to FIFA, the clashes began after the final whistle when Paredes and Almada engaged in unsportsmanlike conduct toward Spanish defender Eric Garcia. When Gavi intervened to defend his teammate, the Argentine players knocked him to the ground.
The altercations escalated as Molina punched Spanish midfielder Rodri Hernandez in the torso while Rodri was running to celebrate the victory. Assistant coach Ayala also delivered a punch to Spanish attacker Dani Olmo during the chaotic post-match scenes.
Fines and spectator restrictions for AFA
In addition to individual player punishments, FIFA penalized the Argentine Football Association under multiple articles of the FIFA Disciplinary Code. The total financial penalty reached $321,000 due to infractions recorded across several matches during the tournament hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
The governing body cited Article 13, paragraph 2 c), which prohibits using a sports event for non-sporting demonstrations, after Argentine personnel displayed a banner asserting that the Falkland Islands are Argentine. Further sanctions were issued under Article 14, paragraph 5 for team misconduct, Article 15 for discriminatory chants and gestures by Argentine supporters, and Article 17 regarding match order and security.
Under the terms of the ruling, the Argentine Football Association must play its next two home international fixtures with spectator capacity restricted to 50 percent. FIFA also mandated that $100,000 of the total fine must be directly invested into a plan to fight discrimination.
However, FIFA established a probationary period that suspends a portion of the penalty. The application of one of the stadium capacity restrictions and $100,000 of the fine will be held in abeyance pending compliance during probation.
Appeals process and legal next steps
FIFA formally notified all affected parties of the disciplinary decisions on Friday. Under Article 61 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, the federations and players have ten days to request the full grounds for the decisions.
If requested, the formal written rationale will be published on the legal.fifa.com website. All penalized parties retain the right to appeal the sanctions within the established legal framework.
