Paredes slapped with 10-game FIFA ban as Argentina faces World Cup disciplinary storm

Argentina’s World Cup final defeat has produced a disciplinary fallout of historic proportions, with FIFA handing Leandro Paredes a 10-game suspension and punishing two other Argentine players for incidents following the loss to Spain.

Paredes received the heaviest sanction, along with a US$90,000 fine, after FIFA determined that he struck out at Spanish players in the aftermath of the final. The midfielder grabbed Eric Garcia by the throat and pushed Gavi to the ground as tensions boiled over following Argentina’s defeat.

The punishment effectively removes Paredes from Argentina duty for about a year, given that the national team’s current schedule contains 10 matches through June 2027.

Paredes faces lengthy international exile

The 10-game suspension is among the harshest ever imposed by FIFA for conduct at a World Cup.

Paredes’ punishment matches the 10-game ban handed to Croatia’s Josip Simunic in 2013 after a World Cup qualifying playoff. Simunic had used a megaphone to lead supporters in chanting a slogan associated with Croatia’s pro-Nazi regime during World War II.

The sanction also places Paredes alongside some of the most severe World Cup disciplinary cases in recent history.

Uruguay star Luis Suárez received a four-month worldwide football ban, plus an additional eight competitive international matches, after biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Unlike Suárez’s suspension, however, Paredes’ current 10-game punishment could consist entirely of friendlies because Argentina has no competitive fixtures presently scheduled during the affected period.

Molina and Almada also punished

Paredes was not the only Argentine player to face FIFA’s disciplinary panel.

Defender Nahuel Molina was suspended for seven matches and fined US$90,000, while Thiago Almada received a one-game ban and a US$30,000 fine.

Spain’s Gavi was also punished for his role in the confrontation, receiving a one-match suspension. His ban will be served in Spain’s Nations League meeting with England at Wembley on September 26.

Argentina assistant coach Roberto Ayala was handed a three-game suspension and fined US$30,000.

The collection of sanctions reflects FIFA’s determination to address the behavior that followed a final that ended with tempers spilling beyond the normal boundaries of competition.

AFA also faces heavy financial penalties

The Argentine Football Association was hit with an additional US$110,000 fine for a series of incidents connected to the tournament.

Among the matters cited were players displaying a political banner concerning the Falkland Islands following Argentina’s semifinal victory over England, as well as discriminatory chants from supporters.

FIFA also ordered the AFA to allocate US$100,000 toward anti-racism initiatives.

The penalties come against the backdrop of Argentina’s US$34 million World Cup prize allocation from FIFA.

Argentina plans to fight the decisions

The AFA has made clear that it intends to challenge the sanctions.

In a statement, the federation said: “The AFA legal department will, in a timely manner, request from FIFA the grounds for the reviewable rulings in order to file appeals with the governing body’s appeal committee, while retaining the future option of appealing to the CAS as a final recourse.”

The appeal process could therefore extend beyond FIFA’s internal mechanisms to the Court of Arbitration for Sport if the federation remains dissatisfied with the outcome.

For Paredes, however, the immediate consequence is already significant. Unless the sanction is reduced on appeal, the midfielder faces an extended absence from Argentina’s national team, with the 10-game punishment potentially keeping him out of international action until the middle of 2027.

What began with the disappointment of a World Cup final has now become one of the most consequential disciplinary episodes in Argentina’s recent international history.