Paredes handed 10-game ban as FIFA punishes Argentina trio for World Cup final brawl

FIFA has banned three Argentina players for a combined 18 games after they assaulted Spain opponents in the aftermath of the World Cup final in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with midfielder Leandro Paredes drawing a 10-match suspension — one of the most severe sanctions in World Cup history.

Paredes, who grabbed Spain’s Eric Garcia by the throat and shoved Gavi to the ground moments after the final whistle, will miss every Argentina fixture on the FIFA calendar through June 2027. Because all 10 of those scheduled matches are currently friendlies, the ban carries no direct competitive cost — but it amounts to a full year’s exile from the national team. FIFA also fined Paredes $90,000.

Defender Nahuel Molina received a seven-game ban and a $90,000 fine, while midfielder Thiago Almada was handed a one-game suspension and a $30,000 fine. Argentina assistant coach Roberto Ayala was banned for three games and fined $30,000.

The Argentine Football Association (AFA) was separately fined $110,000 for a series of incidents during the tournament, including players carrying a political banner referencing the Falkland Islands after the semifinal win over England, and discriminatory chants by supporters. FIFA also ordered the AFA to invest $100,000 in anti-racism projects.

Spain’s Gavi, who was also involved in the post-match confrontation, received a one-game ban that will see him miss Spain’s UEFA Nations League fixture against England at Wembley on 26 September.

The Paredes suspension draws direct comparisons to two of FIFA’s most notorious disciplinary cases. In 2014, Uruguay striker Luis Suárez was banned from all football for four months — including for club side Barcelona — and eight further international matches after biting Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup in Brazil. Paredes’ 10-game ban also matches the punishment handed to Croatia’s Josip Simunic in 2013, who used a megaphone to lead fans in chanting a slogan associated with the country’s wartime pro-Nazi regime.

The incidents that triggered Friday’s rulings came after a fractious final in which Argentina were largely outplayed by Spain. Ferran Torres scored the only goal in the second period of extra time, with Argentina further hampered by the second-half red card shown to Enzo Fernandez.

The AFA confirmed it intends to challenge the longer bans and fines, stating its legal department would request FIFA’s full written grounds before filing appeals with the governing body’s appeal committee, with the Court of Arbitration for Sport retained as a final option. Argentina received $34 million in World Cup prize money from FIFA.