FIFA Imposes Multi‑Match Bans and $321,000 Fine on Argentina After World Cup Final Brawl

Overview

• FIFA announced Friday that midfielder Leandro Paredes was banned for 10 international matches and fined $90,000 while Nahuel Molina was suspended for seven matches and also fined $90,000.
• Other individual sanctions include Thiago Almada (one match, $30,000), Spain’s Gavi (one match, $30,000) and Argentina assistant Roberto Ayala (three matches, $30,000).
• The Argentine Football Association was fined $321,000, ordered to play two home games at 50% capacity with one match suspended, and must invest $100,000 in anti-discrimination programs while $100,000 of the fine is held in probationary suspension.
• FIFA cited violations for use of the event for non-sporting demonstrations (the Malvinas banner), discriminatory chants and gestures by fans, team misconduct and breaches of match security as the basis for the penalties.
• The AFA has said it will request the disciplinary reasoning and plans to appeal to FIFA’s appeal body and, if needed, to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, while the bans apply to future official international matches and could affect player availability in upcoming fixtures.