Leandro Paredes has been suspended for 10 matches and Nahuel Molina for seven by FIFA after the Argentine pair were involved in confrontations with Spain players following the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final.
Argentina lost 1-0 to Spain after extra time, with the match followed by heated physical altercations involving players from both teams. Paredes was involved in several clashes, including confrontations with Spain midfielder Gavi, and received the longer of the two suspensions.
Molina has been banned for seven games. Spain players Eric Garcia and Dani Olmo were also attacked after the final, according to the source article.
In addition to the individual sanctions, Argentina have been ordered to play two home matches with stadium capacity restricted to 50%. The punishment forms part of FIFA’s response to the incidents that took place after the final had ended.
The sanctions against Paredes and Molina are separate from a further penalty imposed on the Argentine Football Association (AFA). The federation has been fined $321,000 after several members of the Argentina Men’s National Football Team displayed a politically themed banner following their 2-1 victory over England in the 2026 World Cup semi-finals.
The banner carried the words “Las Malvinas Son Argentinas”- “The Falklands are Argentine”. The slogan refers to the dispute between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands and the war fought between the two countries in 1982.
FIFA’s disciplinary action therefore covers both the post-final disorder and the political message displayed after Argentina’s semi-final win. Paredes and Molina face lengthy absences from international football as a result of their involvement in the scenes that followed Argentina’s defeat.
Paredes was sanctioned after his repeated physical clashes with Spain players, with Gavi specifically named among those involved in the incidents. Molina was also punished for his part in the post-match altercations.
The final ended Argentina’s campaign with a 1-0 defeat after extra time, but the disciplinary consequences have continued beyond the result itself. Argentina will now have to serve the two-match home-stadium restriction, while the AFA must pay the financial penalty connected to the banner.
The $321,000 fine was issued after the banner appeared following the win against England in the semi-final. Its reference to the Falkland Islands added a political dimension to the disciplinary case, while the suspensions and capacity limits relate to events involving players after the final against Spain.
Together, the measures represent FIFA’s response to the conduct surrounding the closing stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup: a seven-match ban for Molina, a 10-match suspension for Paredes, two Argentina home games played at half capacity and a $321,000 fine for the AFA.
