Argentina to Take Legal Action After FIFA Hands Players Hefty Fines, Bans

The Argentina Football Association (AFA) is planning to take legal action against FIFA in light of the hefty punishments soccer’s governing body handed some of its players on Friday.

FIFA confirmed its decision to suspend and fine three Argentinian members for their involvement in the intense brawl that took place after the final whistle of the 2026 FIFA World Cup final loss to Spain. Nahuel Molina was the instigator of the fight, shown hitting Spain star midfielder Rodri on the arm as he was running from the bench to celebrate with his teammates. The duo got into a short heated confrontation, before the entire affair escalated, culminating in Argentina’s Leandro Paredes grabbing Eric García by the throat and throwing Gavi to the ground.

FIFA handed Paredes a 10-match ban for his role in the ugly altercation, while Molina was suspended for seven matches. Both players were also fined $90,000. Their teammate Thiago Almada was issued a one-match suspension. Argentina coach Roberto Ayala—who struck Spanish star midfielder Dani Olmo—has been banned for three matches, joining Almada in receiving a fine of $30,000.

Andrés Paton Urich, the legal advisor to the AFA, stated that FIFA’s sanction is “excessive,” and for that reason, the AFA will appeal the decision, with the hope of reducing the suspensions of Paredes, Molina and Ayala in particular.

Argentina Plans Legal Action

Leandro Paredes — Argentina came under fire at the World Cup. | Pat Isaacs/MI News/NurPhoto/Getty Images

“We were notified today of the resolutions of the six disciplinary files,” Urich said on D Sports Radio. “We don’t like the sanctions; we knew there would be some, but we expected less. We understand that those for Paredes, Molina and Ayala are excessive for what they did, so we will seek to have them mitigated. We will request the grounds and appeal.”

The AFA reportedly intends to prepare a frame-by-frame review of the various videos of the World Cup altercation to present to the FIFA Appeals Committee in order to demonstrate that the players’ actions do not justify their hefty suspensions. Urich seeks to denote a clear imbalance by using similar incidences in international soccer history and their consequent punishments, such as the nine-match suspension Uruguayan star Luis Suárez received for biting Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini at the 2014 World Cup.

“We have 10 days to request the grounds, which we will do between today and Monday,” Urich said. “Then the deadline begins to run for filing the appeal with all the supporting evidence. Once that’s done, the Appeals Committee will issue its decision, which may validate the sanction or modify it. If the Committee upholds the sanctions, we will evaluate going to the [Court of Arbitration for Sport].”

He added: “The sanction applies to competitions like the World Cup qualifiers, and that’s why we want to appeal this sanction, which we consider unfair and excessive. We will work hard to get it overturned.”

Urich is confident in getting the players’ suspensions reduced, resting on a similar case that happened in 2017. “The prime example is Messi’s case in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, where he was initially suspended for four matches, a suspension that was later reduced. Naturally, we don’t like these kinds of sanctions.” Messi had directed insults at an assistant referee during a March meeting with Chile.

The AFA was also fined $321,000 by FIFA for fans’ uses of discriminatory chants and gestures as well as the players’ decision to carry a political banner relating to the Falklands War onto the field after their World Cup semifinal victory over England. As of Sunday, the AFA will not be appealing those grounds.

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