On Friday, FIFA imposed bans on three players from Argentina, with midfielder Leandro Paredes receiving a significant 10-match suspension for his actions against Spanish players following the World Cup final loss.
Paredes’ suspension, which involves grabbing Spain’s Eric Garcia by the throat and pushing Gavi to the ground, is deemed one of the most severe in World Cup history, comparable to the sanctions faced by Uruguay’s Luis Suarez in 2014.
In addition to Paredes, defender Nahuel Molina was given a seven-match suspension, while Thiago Almada received a one-match ban. FIFA also levied fines of $90,000 USD against both Paredes and Molina, and a $30,000 fine for Almada.
Essentially, Paredes is facing a one-year exclusion from the Argentine national team, as the FIFA schedule includes 10 matches up until June 2027.
All scheduled matches could potentially be friendlies, as there are currently no competitive fixtures planned.
Gavi also faces suspension for England match
Gavi has been banned for one match, specifically for the upcoming Nations League clash against England at Wembley on September 26.
Roberto Ayala, an Argentine coach, received a three-match suspension and a fine of $30,000 as well.
The Argentine Football Association was fined $110,000 due to various incidents during the World Cup, which included players displaying a political banner regarding the Falkland Islands after their semifinal victory over England, as well as discriminatory chants from fans.
Furthermore, FIFA mandated that the AFA allocate $100,000 towards anti-racism initiatives. Argentina had received $34 million in prize money from FIFA for their World Cup performance.
Argentina likely to challenge the decisions
The AFA is expected to appeal the lengthy suspensions and fines to FIFA, and potentially follow up with an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
In a statement, the federation noted, “The AFA legal department will, in a timely manner, request from FIFA the grounds for the reviewable rulings in order to file appeals with the governing body’s appeal committee, while retaining the future option of appealing to the CAS as a final recourse.”
Cases of Suarez and Simunic
Back in 2014, Luis Suarez faced a four-month ban from all soccer, including at his new club Barcelona, along with an additional eight-match suspension for Uruguay due to biting Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini during a World Cup group stage match in Brazil.
Paredes’ 10-match suspension parallels that of Josip Simunic from Croatia in 2013, who was banned after leading fans in chanting a slogan associated with the pro-Nazi regime during World War II, following a World Cup qualifying playoff victory.
The confrontations during last month’s final in East Rutherford, New Jersey—characterized by FIFA as assault incidents—occurred after Argentina was defeated by Spain, a match where they struggled to create scoring opportunities.
Spain’s Ferran Torres scored the sole goal during the second half of extra time, following the red card issued to Argentine midfielder Enzo Fernandez.
Additionally, FIFA’s disciplinary judges mandated that Argentina plays its next home match in a stadium with a capacity limited to 50%. A second stadium sanction and a $100,000 penalty have been deferred for probationary periods.