Leandro Paredes, the Argentina midfielder, received the harshest individual penalty: a 10-match ban and a fine of 90,000 US dollars. Nahuel Molina was suspended for seven matches and fined the same amount. Roberto Ayala, the assistant coach to Lionel Scaloni, was banned for three matches and fined 30,000 dollars. Thiago Almada and Spain’s Gavi each received one match bans and 30,000-dollar fines. All of the suspensions apply exclusively to matches involving their national teams and will therefore roll into future international windows. The Argentine Football Association itself was fined 321,000 dollars for a range of breaches across the tournament, including the display of a “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” banner after the semi-final win over England, and ordered to play its next two home internationals with spectator numbers limited to 50 per cent. Part of the fine and one of the restricted matches are subject to a suspended element linked to a probationary period, with 100,000 dollars of the total directed towards an anti-discrimination plan.
The disciplinary process began in the days after the final when FIFA appointed a prosecutor to examine the altercations. Proceedings were formally opened on 29 July against Paredes (three counts of assault), Molina (two counts of assault, one completed and one attempted, plus one of unsporting behaviour), Ayala (one count of assault), Almada (one count of unsporting behaviour) and Gavi (one count of unsporting behaviour), all under Article 14 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code. The committee stated at the time that it had “received the report from the designated disciplinary and ethics prosecutor regarding the incidents that occurred during the final of the FIFA World Cup 2026 (Spain vs. Argentina) and, following the recommendation contained therein, has initiated disciplinary proceedings.” The players and official were given the opportunity to present their positions before the final decision was reached after what FIFA described as a rigorous analysis.
Footage from the final showed Molina appearing to strike Spain’s Rodri as celebrations began, prompting confrontation. Paredes was then involved in a physical exchange with Eric García and Gavi, while Ayala was seen in an altercation with Dani Olmo. An initial report of a red card for Paredes was later corrected by FIFA, which confirmed no on-field dismissal had been issued at the time. In the immediate aftermath, Gavi himself spoke against further sanctions. “I don’t think they should be suspended,” he said. “I understand it’s not a good image for kids, but I think there’s also that side to football which is a bit more physical, more aggressive. The logical thing would have been to send them off during the match, and that’s it. In the end, I think it’s all football, and it has to be that way.”
The severity of the eventual bans, particularly the 10-match suspension for Paredes, stands out as among the longest imposed for on-pitch or immediate post-match misconduct in a major tournament. The sanctions arrive against a backdrop of wider scrutiny of Argentina’s conduct throughout the competition, including the political banner that drew British government interest and earlier questions over match protocols and spectator behaviour. Neither the Argentine Football Association nor the individuals sanctioned had issued detailed public responses in the first hours after the decision was announced on 21 August.
The suspensions will now shape Argentina’s and Spain’s preparations for their next international commitments, ensuring that the ugly scenes that marred the conclusion of the 2026 World Cup continue to cast a long shadow over both squads.
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