Zurich, August 21: FIFA Bans Argentina Players Over World Cup Final Brawl. FIFA has concluded its investigation into the ugly post-match brawl that marred the 2026 World Cup final, handing down a series of heavy suspensions and fines to players from both Argentina and Spain. The FIFA Disciplinary Committee announced its findings on Friday, August 21, nearly a month after Spain’s 1-0 extra-time win over Argentina at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 19.
The scuffle broke out moments after the final whistle, triggered when Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes struck Spain defender Eric Garcia in the throat with an open hand, knocking him to the ground. Paredes then shoved Spain’s Gavi to the turf as players and coaching staff from both sides rushed in to separate the two teams.
Paredes has received the harshest punishment, a 10-match suspension along with a fine of 90,000 US dollars. FIFA officials say the ban places him alongside Uruguay’s Luis Suarez, who was suspended for biting an opponent at the 2014 World Cup, among the most severely sanctioned players in the tournament’s history. Since Argentina’s FIFA international calendar runs through friendlies until June 2027, with no competitive fixtures currently scheduled, the ban effectively rules Paredes out of the national team picture for roughly a year.
Defender Nahuel Molina, who collided with Spain’s Rodri as the scuffle began, has been suspended for seven matches and fined 90,000 dollars. Midfielder Thiago Almada received a one-match ban and a 30,000 dollar fine for his role in pushing Gavi to the ground. Argentina assistant coach Roberto Ayala, who was involved in a separate altercation with Spain’s Dani Olmo, has been banned for three matches and fined 30,000 dollars.
On the Spanish side, Gavi is the only player to face sanction, receiving a one-match suspension and a 30,000 dollar fine for unsporting behaviour. The ban will keep the Barcelona midfielder out of Spain’s Nations League fixture against England at Wembley on September 26.
Beyond the individual sanctions, the Argentine Football Association has been fined 321,000 dollars for a string of violations during the tournament. FIFA cited discriminatory chants and gestures by Argentina’s supporters, along with the political banner reading “Las Malvinas son Argentinas,” referencing the Falkland Islands, which players displayed on the pitch after their semi-final win over England. As part of the penalty, the AFA must play its next two home matches with stadium capacity capped at 50 per cent and has been ordered to spend 100,000 dollars on anti-discrimination projects. FIFA said a portion of these sanctions, including one of the capped-capacity matches, would remain suspended during a probationary period.
Argentina had received 34 million dollars in prize money from FIFA for reaching the final. The federation now has the option to appeal the longer suspensions and fines, first to FIFA’s appeals committee and subsequently to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, should it choose to escalate the matter.
Spain’s win marked the country’s second World Cup title, extending its European-record unbeaten streak, while 19-year-old Lamine Yamal completed a rare Euro and World Cup double in the same year. Argentina’s campaign, meanwhile, ended in controversy after Enzo Fernandez was sent off in stoppage time and the post-match confrontation overshadowed what had otherwise been a tightly contested final.
FIFA said all parties involved have been formally notified of the sanctions and have 10 days to request the disciplinary committee’s detailed grounds for the rulings ahead of any appeal.
