Argentina Is Paying Over $321,000 in FIFA Fines for Everything That Went Wrong at the World Cup

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More than a month after Argentina lost the 2026 World Cup final to Spain at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, FIFA’s Disciplinary Commission released its official sanctions stemming from incidents that occurred on the pitch, in the stands and in the tunnel after the match. The total financial and sporting consequences for Argentina are considerable, and the Asociación del Fútbol Argentino announced immediately after receiving notification that it intends to appeal the rulings through the appropriate FIFA channels and ultimately through the Court of Arbitration for Sport if necessary.

The heaviest individual punishment went to Leandro Paredes, who received a ten-match suspension and a $90,000 fine for physically attacking Spanish players Eric García and Gavi after the final whistle. Nahuel Molina received a seven-match ban and a $90,000 fine for assaulting Rodri. Thiago Almada, who was also involved in the altercation surrounding Paredes, received a one-match suspension and a $30,000 fine. Roberto Ayala, assistant coach to Lionel Scaloni, was handed a three-match suspension and a $30,000 fine for his confrontation with Dani Olmo. The only Spanish player sanctioned was Gavi, who received a one-match ban and a $30,000 fine.

The Malvinas Flag and the Discrimination Charges

The fines directed at the AFA as an institution go well past the post-match incidents and touch on a pattern of behavior documented across multiple games throughout the tournament. The AFA received a total fine of $321,000 covering several categories of violations under FIFA’s Disciplinary Code.

A $10,000 fine was issued for the display of a Malvinas flag following Argentina’s semifinal victory over England, which FIFA classified as using a sporting event to make a non-sporting political statement. An additional $20,000 was assessed for inappropriate fan behavior. The largest portion of the institutional fines, $100,000 with an additional $100,000 suspended for six months, stemmed from racist, homophobic and discriminatory chants directed by Argentine supporters during matches against Cape Verde, Egypt, Switzerland, England and Spain. A further $91,000 was imposed for objects thrown onto the pitch during the matches against Switzerland and England, delays to match kick-offs and failures to comply with FIFA security protocols.

What the Sanctions Actually Require

Beyond the financial penalties, FIFA’s rulings carry operational consequences that the AFA must now manage. For the next official home match of the Argentine men’s national team, 50 percent of stadium seating must be closed, with the restriction focused primarily on sections behind the goals. A second similar closure has been suspended for one year on the condition that no comparable violations occur during that period.

As an alternative to the 50 percent seating closure, the AFA may, with FIFA’s approval, fill half of the closed seats, representing 25 percent of total stadium capacity, with community groups and special interest organizations such as families, students and anti-discrimination organizations. Any such plan must include active anti-discrimination measures, including supporters wearing anti-discrimination shirts or displaying anti-discrimination banners within those sections.

The AFA is also required to invest $100,000 of the total fine in the development of a comprehensive anti-discrimination plan within six months, a plan that must be approved by FIFA before implementation. The sanctions include a probationary period during which further violations of the same nature could trigger the suspended portions of the fines and stadium restrictions.

Argentina’s Response and What Comes Next

The AFA published a detailed breakdown of the sanctions shortly after receiving FIFA’s notification and made clear that its legal team would request the full reasoning behind each ruling before filing appeals with FIFA’s Appeals Committee. The statement left open the possibility of escalating to the Court of Arbitration for Sport as a final option if the internal appeal process does not produce satisfactory results.

The player suspensions will be served across upcoming official matches for the Argentine senior men’s national team, meaning Paredes, Molina and Almada will be unavailable for the next competitive cycle depending on the schedule. For a national team that will be rebuilding around a post-Messi era in the years following the World Cup, losing key players to disciplinary bans at the start of that process adds a complication that the technical staff will need to manage carefully.

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