Suspension period for Argentina national team players reduced

14:58 / 28.08.2026·18·Sport

The Argentine Football Association (AFA) has successfully negotiated with FIFA to ease the disciplinary sanctions imposed on Leandro Paredes and Nahuel Molina. As reported by Goal.com, these players will now be able to serve their suspensions in both official competitions and friendly matches. This is reported by Goal.com reports .

These events unfolded following the 1-0 defeat to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final. After the decisive match, a major brawl broke out on the pitch, leading to a chaotic end to the game. Consequently, FIFA imposed strict disciplinary measures on several members of the Argentina national team.

Details of the penalties and AFA's actions

Specifically, experienced midfielder Leandro Paredes was banned for 10 matches and fined £65,000 for grabbing opponent Eric Garcia by the neck and striking Gavi in the face, knocking him to the ground. Defender Nahuel Molina was suspended for seven matches for striking Spain captain Rodri in the chest during a confrontation.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, the AFA leadership immediately appealed to FIFA, requesting a change in the procedure for serving the suspensions. In its statement, the association noted that the FIFA Disciplinary Committee approved the request in accordance with current regulations, allowing players to serve their bans in Class A friendly matches as well.

Future plans and previous controversies

Nevertheless, the Argentine Football Association continues to defend its rights. Once the AFA receives the formal grounds for the decision, it plans to file an appeal with the FIFA Appeal Committee. If this proves unsuccessful, it is stated that the matter could be taken to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

It is worth noting that this was not Argentina's only disciplinary issue in this tournament. After the semi-final against England, players such as Lionel Messi, Cristian Romero, Giovani Lo Celso, and Lisandro Martinez caused widespread controversy by displaying a banner claiming the Falkland Islands belong to Argentina.