Argentina’s Paredes gets 10-game ban for World Cup final scuffle with Spain

What the report says

FIFA has handed Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes a 10-match ban and fined him, after disciplinary action over on-field violence following the World Cup final against Spain, according to Al Jazeera’s reporting of an Associated Press story published on 21 August 2026. The sanction is one of the harshest World Cup-related punishments in recent history.

The report says Paredes was punished for grabbing Spain defender Eric Garcia by the throat and pushing Gavi to the ground after Argentina’s defeat. FIFA also suspended Argentina defender Nahuel Molina for seven matches and Thiago Almada for one, while Spain midfielder Gavi received a one-game ban that will apply in a Nations League match. An Argentina staff member, Roberto Ayala, was also sanctioned.

Beyond the individual punishments, FIFA fined the Argentina football federation for several incidents during the tournament, including a political banner linked to the Falkland Islands and discriminatory chanting by supporters. The federation was also ordered to fund antiracism projects. The article notes that Argentina can appeal the sanctions through FIFA and possibly the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The report adds that the final itself was tense and that Spain won 1-0 after extra time, with Argentina finishing the match a player down after Enzo Fernandez’s red card.