Argentina faces severe sanctions following two major scandals at the 2026 World Cup after losing to Spain and missing out on the championship.
On 30 Jul 2026 GMT+7, details emerged about potential sanctions against the Argentina national team after FIFA launched a disciplinary investigation into violent and inappropriate conduct during the 2026 World Cup, where "La Albiceleste" finished as runners-up.
- Argentine players and coaching staff were involved in a fight with Spanish players after losing 0-1 in extra time. Those under investigation include:
1. Leandro Paredes (Argentina): 3 charges for assault.
2. Nahuel Molina (Argentina): 2 charges for assault.
3. Roberto Ayala (Argentina – assistant coach): 1 charge for assault.
4. Thiago Almada (Argentina): 1 charge for misconduct.
5. Gavi (Spain): 1 charge for misconduct.
Expected penalties - Minimum one-match ban for misconduct and at least three matches for assault charges.
- The Argentine Football Association may face disciplinary action for using the sporting event to make a political statement (Article 13), team misconduct (Article 14), and discrimination and racism (Article 15).
Argentine players celebrated their victory over England in the semi-finals by displaying a banner claiming sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, reading "Las Malvinas son Argentinas" (The Falkland Islands belong to Argentina).
Expected penalties- In 2014, FIFA fined Argentina £20,000 (approximately 900,000 baht) for a similar incident when players displayed a comparable banner before a friendly match against Slovenia in La Plata.
Additionally, Argentina may face further sanctions for breaching competition regulations and security (Article 17) due to fan behavior involving racist chants and gestures, delaying the start of matches, inappropriate messages from teams and spectators, and objects being thrown by fans.
