Midfielder Leandro Paredes, a starter for Boca Juniors, questioned the ten‑match sanction that FIFA imposed on him for the incident that occurred after the 2026 World Cup final between Argentina and Spain. Paredes deemed the punishment disproportionate and announced that the Argentine Football Association (AFA) will prepare an appeal to try to reduce it.
The context of the punishment
The World Cup final ended with a 1‑0 victory for Spain, thanks to a goal by Ferran in extra time. After the match, several disputes arose between the players of both teams. Paredes and his teammate Thiago Almada were sanctioned for unsporting actions against Eric García. Gavi, the young Spaniard, intervened to defend his teammate and was also implicated.
FIFA assigned Paredes a ten‑match suspension and a fine of $90,000. Meanwhile, Argentine Nahuel Molina received a seven‑match suspension and a fine of the same amount, while Almada was punished with a single match. On the technical side, Roberto Ayala, the national team coach, was suspended for three matches. Gavi, for his part, had to miss just one match and pay $30,000.
Paredes demands a reduction
“I think it’s exaggerated. The strange thing is that Gavi was given a date and he’s the one punching me in the chest,” Paredes said. “Now we have to appeal, see if we can reduce the sanction and nothing more. I believe it can be reduced because it’s excessive,” he added.
The AFA and the appeal route
The AFA expects to receive the full reasoning of the decision in order to file appeals before FIFA’s Appeals Committee. If the appeal fails to modify the sanctions, the body would have the option to turn to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) as a final instance.
Possibility of serving suspensions in friendlies
FIFA accepted the AFA’s request so that sanctioned footballers can begin serving their suspensions in Category A international friendly matches, and not exclusively in official fixtures. This measure would allow Argentine players to offset part of their punishments during upcoming international commitments of the national team and reduce the impact of the sanctions on official matches.
Source credits: deultimominuto.com
