FIFA suspends Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes for 10 matches after World Cup final incident

FIFA announced on Friday that Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes received a 10-match suspension and a $90,000 fine for grabbing Spain defender Eric Garcia by the throat and pushing midfielder Gavi to the ground after the World Cup final. Defender Nahuel Molina was banned for seven matches and fined $90,000, while forward Thiago Almada received a one-match suspension and a $30,000 fine. Coach Roberto Ayala was also handed a three-game ban and a $30,000 penalty.

Spain’s Gavi was suspended for one Nations League match against England. The Argentine Football Association (AFA) was fined $110,000 for various incidents during the tournament, including a political banner displayed after the semifinal and discriminatory chants by fans, and was ordered to allocate $100,000 to anti-racism projects.

The 10-match ban covers all Argentina national-team fixtures scheduled through June 2027, effectively removing Paredes from the squad for the next year. The AFA said it will seek a review of the sanctions and may appeal to FIFA’s disciplinary committee and, if necessary, the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

"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," the federation said.

The disciplinary action follows similar historic penalties, matching the length of bans imposed on Uruguay forward Luis Suárez in 2014 and Croatia midfielder Josip Simunić in 2013. FIFA also ordered Argentina to play its next home match at reduced stadium capacity and deferred an additional stadium sanction pending further review.