Leandro Paredes Gets 10-Game Ban After World Cup Final Brawl

Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes has been banned for 10 international matches and fined $90,000 after clashes involving Spain players following the 2026 FIFA World Cup final. FIFA also issued sanctions to Argentina defender Nahuel Molina, midfielder Thiago Almada, coaching staff member Roberto Ayala and Spain midfielder Gavi.

The disciplinary action follows the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19, when Spain beat holders Argentina 1-0 through Ferran Torres’ extra-time goal. Paredes received the most severe individual punishment after FIFA reviewed the incidents that unfolded after the final whistle.

Argentina’s next two home matches have also been ordered to take place at 50 percent capacity, although one match of that sanction is suspended. The Argentinian Football Association has said it will appeal the suspensions and fines.

FIFA hands Paredes the strongest individual sanction

FIFA said Paredes grabbed Spain defender Eric Garcia by the throat and wrestled Gavi to the ground while holding his substitute’s bib. The incidents escalated after the final, leading football’s world governing body to impose a 10-game ban on the Argentina midfielder alongside the $90,000 fine.

Molina was given a seven-match suspension and a $90,000 fine. Almada received a one-match ban and a $30,000 fine, while Ayala, a member of Argentina’s coaching staff, was suspended for three matches and fined $30,000.

Spain’s Gavi was also sanctioned for his part in the fracas. He received a one-match ban and a $30,000 fine.

The penalties mean Argentina will have multiple absences to manage across upcoming international fixtures, with Paredes facing the longest suspension among the players named in FIFA’s action. The ruling also closes a disciplinary chapter from a final in which Argentina, the defending champions, were beaten by Spain after extra time.

FIFA had appointed a disciplinary and ethics prosecutor to examine the events after the final whistle. Its subsequent sanctions covered both the confrontation involving players and staff and separate charges concerning the Argentinian Football Association.

AFA fined as it prepares an appeal

The AFA was fined $321,000 for breaches of FIFA’s disciplinary code relating to using a sporting event for demonstrations of a non-sporting nature, team misconduct, and discriminatory chants and gestures by supporters.

After Argentina’s 2-1 World Cup semi-final win over England, several Argentina players held up a banner stating that the Falklands are Argentine. FIFA included that matter among the issues addressed through its disciplinary process.

In addition to the financial penalty, Argentina must play their next two home matches with reduced capacity, though one of those matches is subject to a suspended sanction. The decision gives FIFA’s ruling consequences beyond the individuals punished, affecting the national team and its supporters at home fixtures.

The AFA said it would seek the grounds for the rulings in order to lodge appeals before FIFA’s Appeals Committee. Until any review is completed, Paredes’ 10-match suspension is the headline sanction from the World Cup final aftermath, with Molina’s seven-game ban and the other penalties reinforcing the scale of FIFA’s response.