AFA starts formal fight against FIFA sanctions after World Cup incidents

The Argentine Football Association (AFA) has begun the formal process of challenging a series of FIFA sanctions imposed on the organisation and several Argentina players following incidents at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

In a statement issued on Friday, AFA said its legal department would ask FIFA to explain the reasoning behind the decisions before lodging appeals with the governing body’s Appeals Committee.

“In light of the notifications we have received, and in defence of the rights of the Association and its players, the AFA Legal Department will ask FIFA, at the appropriate time and in the proper form, to provide the grounds for the decisions that can be reviewed,” the statement said.

The association added that the request would be made in preparation for formal appeals, while leaving open the possibility of taking the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

“This will be in preparation for submitting appeals to the Appeals Committee of football’s world governing body, while retaining the possibility of turning in the future to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) as the last resort,” AFA said.

The FIFA Disciplinary Committee announced the punishments on Friday after reviewing incidents from the World Cup final between Argentina and Spain, as well as other events involving Argentina during the tournament.

Spain won the final 1-0.

Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes received the most severe individual punishment, with a 10-match suspension. His team-mate Nahuel Molina was banned for seven matches, while forward Thiago Almada was suspended for one game.

Roberto Ayala, a member of Argentina’s coaching staff, was given a three-match suspension. Spain international Gavi was banned for one match in connection with the clashes that followed the World Cup final.

All of the players and staff members named in the disciplinary decisions were also given fines of varying amounts.

AFA itself was fined $321,000 by FIFA for several alleged breaches during the tournament. The offences included incidents relating to crowd behaviour and discrimination, as well as the display of a political banner connected to the Falkland Islands.

Argentina have also been ordered to play their next two home matches with attendance restricted to no more than 50% of the stadium’s capacity.

The sanctions follow a final that ended in confrontation between members of the two teams and their staff. FIFA’s disciplinary action also covers incidents from other Argentina matches at the tournament, rather than being limited solely to the scenes after the final.

AFA’s statement did not give a date for its appeal, but said the legal department would act “in due time and in the proper form”. The association’s reference to CAS means the dispute could ultimately be taken beyond FIFA’s own appeals process if the sanctions are not overturned or reduced.