The Argentina Football Association (AFA) has announced plans to lodge an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) after Fifa dismissed its challenges against punishments given to the federation and midfielder Leandro Paredes. The penalties follow the aftermath of the 2026 World Cup final, where Argentina suffered a 1-0 defeat against Spain and became embroiled in post-match confrontations.
Paredes was handed a 10-match suspension and a $90,000 (£66,000) fine for his involvement in the pitch-side fracas in July as Spain celebrated their tournament victory. Team-mate Nahuel Molina also received a $90,000 (£66,000) fine and an initial seven-match ban, which the AFA stated was subsequently lowered to four games by Fifa. However, the sanctions on Paredes were upheld in full.
During the post-match turmoil, Paredes, Molina, Thiago Almada, and assistant coach Roberto Ayala all appeared to participate in the altercations. Paredes appeared to push Spain's Eric Garcia by the throat, and when unused substitute Gavi attempted to step in, Almada forced him to the ground. A Fifa disciplinary and ethics prosecutor was subsequently appointed to assess the incident before the penalties were determined.
Beyond player bans, the AFA was hit with a $321,000 (£235,000) fine for multiple violations of Fifa's disciplinary code. These infractions included team misconduct, offensive supporter chants and gestures, and utilizing a sporting match for non-sporting demonstrations—specifically after several players displayed a banner asserting Argentine sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, a British overseas territory, following their 2-1 semi-final win against England.
With Fifa having upheld the punishments, the AFA stated that its immediate next step will be to formally request the governing body's written grounds for the decisions before officially taking the case to Cas.
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