KOR
▲ Argentine players involved in a brawl
The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) has disciplined three Argentine players for a brawl that broke out after the final of the 2026 North and Central America World Cup.
Midfielder Leandro Paredes received the heaviest punishment, a 10-match suspension.
According to the Associated Press, FIFA decided on the 21st (local time) to suspend Paredes for 10 matches, Nahuel Molina for 7 matches, and Thiago Almada for 1 match.
Paredes and Molina must also each pay a fine of $90,000 (approx. 125 million won), while Almada was fined $30,000.
They became subject to disciplinary action after hitting Spanish players immediately following their defeat to Spain in the final.
Among them, Paredes committed the most severe act of violence, grabbing Spain's Eric Garcia by the neck and shoving Gavi to the ground.
The 10-match ban handed down to Paredes is one of the heaviest punishments in World Cup history.
AP cited similar disciplinary cases, such as the 2014 Brazil World Cup incident where Uruguayan forward Luis Suarez bit Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini on the shoulder, a scandal widely known as the "bite."
Suarez, who had already bitten opposing players twice in professional leagues prior to that, received an 8-match international ban and a 4-month ban from all football-related activities, including his club Barcelona.
In 2013, Croatia's Josip Simunic received the same 10-match suspension as Paredes after chanting a Nazi slogan through a megaphone in front of fans following a World Cup qualifying playoff victory.
Due to this suspension, Paredes will effectively be unable to play for the Argentina national team for a year.
Given the national team schedule, he will miss international matches scheduled through June of next year.
All of Argentina's international matches during this period are friendlies.
Argentina coach Roberto Ayala was suspended for 3 matches and fined $30,000.
On the Spanish side, Gavi received a 1-match suspension.
He will miss next month's UEFA Nations League match against England.
Disciplinary action was also taken against the Argentine Football Association (AFA).
FIFA fined the AFA $110,000 and ordered an additional $100,000 contribution to FIFA's anti-racism programs, citing players holding up political banners related to the Falklands War after their semifinal victory and fans shouting discriminatory chants.
FIFA also ordered the AFA to limit stadium attendance to 50% capacity for their next home international match.
The AFA released a statement saying, "We will appeal to FIFA and keep open the possibility of taking the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) as a final resort."
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.
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