The Argentina Football Association (AFA) has confirmed its intention to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after FIFA rejected its appeals against sanctions imposed on the organisation and players Leandro Paredes and Nahuel Molina. The AFA stated that with FIFA upholding the punishments, its next step would be to request the reasons for the decisions before proceeding to CAS.
FIFA Upholds Sanctions Against AFA and Players
FIFA upheld the sanctions against the AFA and players following the 2026 World Cup final. Leandro Paredes received a 10-match ban for his role in on-field clashes after Argentina’s 1-0 defeat by Spain. Team-mate Nahuel Molina was initially given a seven-game suspension, which the AFA stated was reduced to four games by FIFA. Both players were fined $90,000 (£66,000). The AFA itself was fined $321,000 (£235,000) for breaches of the FIFA disciplinary code, including using a sports event for non-sporting demonstrations, team misconduct, and discriminatory chants and gestures by its supporters. The sanctions were issued after FIFA appointed a disciplinary and ethics prosecutor to assess the incidents.
Incidents Leading to Sanctions
The sanctions stemmed from two separate incidents. After beating England 2-1 in the World Cup semi-final, several Argentina players held up a banner claiming Argentine sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, a British overseas territory. Following the final loss to Spain, a fracas on the pitch involved Paredes, Molina, Thiago Almada, and assistant coach Roberto Ayala. Paredes was seen pushing Spain’s Eric Garcia by the throat, while unused substitute Gavi was forced to the ground by Almada after intervening.
LA AFA RECURRIRÁ AL TAS LUEGO DE QUE LA FIFA RATIFICARA LA SANCIÓN A PAREDES POR LOS INCIDENTES EN LA FINAL DEL MUNDIAL La Asociación del Fútbol Argentino (AFA) recibió este viernes las resoluciones de la Cámara de Apelaciones de la FIFA sobre los expedientes abiertos tras los… pic.twitter.com/q5bx8guLuQ
AFA’s Next Steps
In a statement, the AFA confirmed its plan to appeal to CAS, emphasizing the need to understand FIFA’s reasoning for upholding the sanctions. The association's decision to pursue legal recourse shows its disagreement with the disciplinary actions taken by world football's governing body.
🚨 ¡La FIFA mantiene el castigo! ⚽ La apelación de Argentina solo prosperó parcialmente: Nahuel Molina redujo su suspensión de 7 a 4 partidos, pero Leandro Paredes deberá cumplir 10 encuentros. La AFA no se rinde y buscará llevar el caso ante el TAS. 🔥🇦🇷 #FIFA #Argentina… pic.twitter.com/Hp0XnJ0H40
