FIFA Imposes Penalties on Argentina Following World Cup Controversies
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Friday 21 August 2026 15:59, UK FIFA have issued Leandro Paredes a 10-game ban for fighting after the World Cup final and handed Argentina an £235,647 fine for displaying a Falklands banner after beating England in the semi-finals.
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BBC SportPublished Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes has been given a 10-match ban for the role he played in on-field clashes after his side were beaten 1-0 by Spain in the 2026 World Cup final.
ESPNParedes among Argentines banned for WC brawl Three Argentina players have been banned for their part in a brawl at the end of last month's World Cup final against Spain, but the South American nation has been fined only for displaying a Falkland Islands banner after the semifinal win over England.
Bleacher ReportFIFA fined and levied a 10-match ban against Leandro Paredes, a seven-match ban against Nahuel Molina a one-match ban against Thiago Almada and a three-match ban against assistant coach Roberto Ayala, all of whom represent Argentina. Spain's Pablo Martín Gavira (Gavi) received a one-match ban as well:
Yahoo SportsThings turned ugly following Spain's 1-0 win over Argentina at the 2026 World Cup final. After the final whistle, a massive scuffle broke out, in which Argentina's Leandro Paredes grabbed Spain's Eric García by the throat.
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Argentina's Thiago Almada has got a one-game ban for his actions, while Argentina coach Roberto Ayala has a one-game suspension after he tried to punch Spain player Dani Olmo in the face.
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Yahoo SportsRoberto Ayala, an Argentina team official, was suspended for three matches and fined $30,000 for getting into an altercation with Dani Olmo after the match.
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Due to those violations, FIFA announced a $321,000 fine for the Argentina FA, which will also play its next two home matches with only 50 percent fans in attendance.
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Bleacher ReportPer Ben Jacobs of GiveMeSport, the Argentinian Football Association was fined $321,000, and Argentina's next two home matches in international play will see their spectator capacity limited to 50 percent: This article will be updated soon to provide more information and analysis.
4 details only one outlet reported
Independent claims that didn't surface elsewhere in our corpus. Treat as supplementary — not corroborated across outlets.
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01 Sky Sports Paredes was involved in ugly scenes after Argentina's extra-time loss to Spain in New York/New Jersey, grabbing opponent Eric Garcia by the throat and then pushing Spain's unused sub Gavi to the ground. Paredes was shown a red card for violent conduct at the time.
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02 BBC Sport Fifa's disciplinary committee has also handed his team-mate Nahuel Molina a seven-match suspension.
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03 Yahoo Sports The brawl was eventually broken up, but FIFA quickly announced it would investigate the situation a day after the contest.
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04 NDTV Sports Bhaichung Bhutia's Brutal Verdict On India-Brazil Clash: "Boycott That Match" Brazil football team in action
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Sources (6)
- ndtv-sports
- bbc-sport
- espn
- skysports
- bleacherreport
- yahoosports