MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

FIFA sanctions Argentina over the final's brawl and the Falklands banner

The heaviest penalty fell on midfielder Leandro Paredes, banned for ten international matches and fined 90,000 dollars for striking Spain's Eric García and Gavi

FIFA's Disciplinary Committee on Friday imposed financial and sporting sanctions on the Argentine Football Association and four members of its national squad over the confrontations at the end of the 2026 World Cup final and over breaches committed throughout the tournament, among them the display of a banner asserting a sovereignty claim over the Falklands.

The heaviest penalty fell on midfielder Leandro Paredes, banned for ten international matches and fined 90,000 dollars for striking Spain's Eric García and Gavi. Defender Nahuel Molina received seven matches and 90,000 dollars over his altercation with Rodri, and forward Thiago Almada one match and 30,000 dollars. Assistant coach Roberto Ayala was suspended for three matches and fined 30,000 dollars over an incident with Dani Olmo. On Spain's side, tournament winners, only Gavi was sanctioned, with one match and 30,000 dollars.

The incidents took place on July 19 at the New Jersey stadium, immediately after Spain won 1-0. As the Spanish players celebrated, Molina confronted Rodri; when Eric García intervened, Paredes joined in with a shove, and the sequence turned into a scuffle that also involved Almada.

Fines on the Argentine federation total 321,000 dollars, of which 100,000 is suspended. The breakdown released by the AFA itself shows the banner accounts for the smallest item: 10,000 dollars for using a sporting event for demonstrations of a non-sporting nature, plus 20,000 for improper conduct by spectators.

The bulk relates to racist, homophobic and discriminatory chanting and abuse by Argentine fans at five tournament matches, against Cape Verde, Egypt, Switzerland, England and Spain: a 100,000-dollar fine and a further 100,000 suspended for six months. Another 91,000 was imposed for objects thrown onto the pitch in the matches against Switzerland and England, a delayed kick-off and failures to comply with security protocol.

The sanction also includes closing 50% of the stands — mainly those behind the goals — at the men's national team's next official home match, with an equivalent measure suspended for a year. As an alternative, the federation may fill half those seats with community groups under anti-discrimination conditions. The AFA must also spend the fine within six months on an anti-discrimination plan approved by FIFA.

The banner, reading “Las Malvinas son argentinas” — “The Falklands are Argentine” — was unfurled by several players after the 2-1 win over England in the semi-final on July 15 in Atlanta. The British government and the Falkland Islands Government asked FIFA to investigate the episode. Argentina maintains a sovereignty claim over the archipelago, administered by the United Kingdom since 1833; in the 2013 referendum, residents voted overwhelmingly to retain their status as a British overseas territory.

The decisions can be appealed. The AFA said it will request the grounds for the rulings in order to appeal to FIFA's Appeal Committee and, ultimately, to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.