Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes was banned for 10 matches and fined $90,000 for his role in a brawl after their 1-0 loss to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final, which took place about a month ago. During the altercation, Paredes grabbed Spain’s Eric Garcia by the throat and pushed Gavi to the ground [1, 2, 3].

Defender Nahuel Molina was banned for seven matches and fined the same amount, $90,000, while forward Thiago Almada received a one-match suspension and a $30,000 fine for unsporting behavior linked to the incident. Argentina assistant coach Roberto Ayala was banned for three matches and fined $30,000. Spain’s Gavi was suspended for one match and fined $30,000 as well [2, 4, 3].

The Argentina Football Association (AFA) was fined a total of $321,000 for multiple disciplinary breaches during the tournament, including discriminatory chants, gestures by fans, and displaying a politically sensitive banner reading "Las Malvinas Son Argentinas" after their semifinal win over England on July 15. The banner relates to Argentina’s claim over the Falkland Islands, a UK overseas territory [2, 5, 6, 7].

FIFA ordered the AFA to limit spectator capacity to 50% for their next two home matches, with one match of this sanction suspended. Of the total fine, $100,000 must be invested in an anti-discrimination plan. According to the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, "The implementation of part of the sanction (one of the two matches and $100,000 of the fine) is suspended, with a probationary period to apply" [2, 6].

Argentina received about $34 million in World Cup prize money from FIFA despite the sanctions [3]. The FIFA disciplinary decisions were announced today, August 21, 2026, and parties have a 10-day window to request detailed reasoning and to file appeals as per FIFA rules [2, 8, 9]. The AFA has confirmed it will appeal the sanctions and has requested the detailed decision documents [8].

Paredes’ 10-match ban is expected to keep him out for approximately one year given the FIFA calendar through June 2027 [3]. The disciplinary investigation into Argentina’s conduct began on July 29, and these latest sanctions conclude FIFA’s findings related to the 2026 World Cup final and preceding incidents [6, 10].

Appeals must be filed within 10 days from today, marking a key upcoming deadline for Argentina and other parties affected by the sanctions [8, 9].