Saturday, August 22, 2026 -FIFA has banned three Argentina players on Friday, including a 10-match suspension for midfielder Paredes, for striking Spain opponents’ moments after losing the World Cup final.
The ban for Paredes, who grabbed Spain’s Eric Garcia by
the throat and pushed Gavi to the ground ranks alongside the FIFA sanctions for
Uruguay forward Luis Suarez in 2014 as among the most severe in World Cup
history.
Argentina defender Nahuel Molina was handed a seven-game ban
while Thiago Almada was given a one-game suspension. FIFA imposed fines of
$90,000 on Paredes and Molina, and $30,000 for Almada.
The ban for Paredes is effectively a one-year expulsion from
the Argentina team as the FIFA calendar for national team schedules includes 10
games through June 2027. All of those games could be friendlies with no
competitive games currently scheduled.
Spain’s Gavi also was banned for one game, which is a Nations
League match against England at Wembley on Sept. 26.
An Argentina coach, Roberto Ayala, also got a three-game ban
and $30,000 fine.
The Argentina soccer federation was fined $110,000 for a
range of incidents during the World Cup including players carrying a political
banner about the Falkland Islands after the semifinal win against England, and
discriminatory chants by fans.
The federation also was ordered by FIFA to spend $100,000 on
anti-racism projects. Argentina received $34 million in World Cup prize money
from FIFA.
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