The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) announced the opening of investigations and disciplinary measures against the Argentine Football Association, along with a number of national team players and a member of the technical staff, against the backdrop of the events that accompanied the 2026 World Cup final against Spain, in addition to the incident of raising a banner carrying a political message during the tournament.
According to a FIFA statement, the investigations included midfielder Leandro Paredes, who faces three charges related to assault, while Nauel Molina faces two similar charges, while The investigations also included the assistant coach of the Argentine national team, Roberto Ayala, on one charge of assault.
Molina is also subject to an additional investigation on charges of unsporting conduct, along with his teammate Thiago Almada and the Spanish national team player Javi, as part of a review of all the events that took place in the final match.
The measures were not limited to individuals, as FIFA opened an official investigation with the Argentine Football Association on charges related to using a sporting event for non-sporting purposes, team misconduct, discrimination and racist abuse, as well as Disturbance of order and security inside the stadiums.
The International Federation explained that these accusations came against the backdrop of raising messages and slogans that were considered to be in violation of the regulations, in addition to throwing projectiles from the stands during a number of the Argentine national team’s matches in the tournament.
The World Cup final, which Spain won by beating Argentina with an unanswered goal after extra time, scored by Ferran Torres, witnessed a tense atmosphere after the final whistle, after clashes broke out between the players. The two teams.
According to reports, Nauel Molina assaulted Spanish midfielder Rodri, while Leandro Paredes grabbed the neck of defender Eric Garcia before pushing Javi to the ground. These are incidents that FIFA confirmed are currently subject to disciplinary and ethical investigations.
The Argentine national team sparked another controversy during the tournament, after its players raised a banner reading “Las Malvinas is Argentinian” after the victory over England in Atlanta, in reference to The Falkland Islands are disputed between Argentina and the United Kingdom.
Although FIFA regulations prohibit raising slogans or messages of a political nature inside stadiums, the White House defended the right of Argentine players to express their opinions, based on the principles of freedom of expression stipulated in the US Constitution.