Barcelona · Friendlies · Defender · #4 · Spain · 24 yrs
After the confirmation of the suspensions, Lionel Messi's Argentina received a great piece of news from FIFA as Leandro Paredes, Nahuel Molina and Thiago Almada can serve their suspension received from the World Cup in friendlies. Lionel Messi and the Argentina national team received a significant boost on Thursday following FIFA‘s confirmation of individual suspensions stemming from the 2026 World Cup final. In a pivotal ruling, FIFA granted a request allowing Leandro Paredes, Nahuel Molina, and Thiago Almada to serve their match suspensions during international friendlies rather than exclusively in official competitive fixtures. Following the heated altercations after the final whistle in the 2026 World Cup, several Argentina players and coaching staff members faced severe disciplinary action from the FIFA Disciplinary Committee. While the Argentine Football Association (AFA) was hit with a $321,000 overall fine for multiple organizational violations, the post-match brawl led to lengthy bans for key squad members. In terms of individual penalties, Leandro Paredes received a 10-match suspension and a $90,000 fine for grabbing Spain’s Eric Garcia by the neck during the post-match brawl. Nahuel Molina was issued a seven-match ban and a $90,000 fine following a clash with Rodri, while Thiago Almada received a one-match ban and a $30,000 fine, and assistant coach Roberto Ayala received a three-match touchline ban accompanied by a $30,000 fine. A major strategic victory for Argentina These suspensions threatened a major operational hurdle for Lionel Messi and Argentina, potentially sidelining key starters across entire international windows given the limited fixture schedule for national teams each year. While the AFA appealed the severity of the bans, FIFA provided immediate relief by approving a procedural modification. Leandro Paredes #5 of Argentina and Eric Garcia #4 of Spain have words after the World Cup 2026 Final. On Thursday, August 27, the AFA confirmed it submitted a formal petition asking FIFA to permit the suspensions to be served across upcoming Class “A” international friendlies or official CONMEBOL fixtures, whichever occur first. An official statement from the federation confirmed that the FIFA Disciplinary Committee granted the request in full. Rather than waiting for the 2030 CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers or the 2028 Copa America to burn off match bans, Paredes, Molina, and Almada can fulfill their suspensions during upcoming exhibition matches on the national team calendar. Despite the favorable ruling on venue eligibility, the AFA noted it will continue pursuing legal avenues to reduce the overall length of the bans once FIFA releases its full written justification: “Notwithstanding this, the Argentine Football Association, in defense of its rights and those of its players, is awaiting the grounds of the decisions in order to file the corresponding appeals before the FIFA Appeal Committee, with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) eventually serving as the final instance.“ When could Argentina’s stars return from suspension? The procedural modification completely reshapes Argentina’s roster availability, enabling Messi to rejoin his suspended teammates much sooner than originally anticipated. However, the timeline hinges on how many exhibition matches the federation schedules during upcoming FIFA windows. During the extended September-October international window, Argentina can schedule up to four friendlies, alongside two potential fixtures in the November 2026 window. With standard double-header windows scheduled for March, June, September, October, and November 2027 before World Cup qualifying begins, Almada, Molina, and Ayala should clear their suspensions before official competitive play starts, leaving only Paredes facing a brief remaining absence.
Angel Di Maria weighed in on FIFA's sanctions against several Argentina players stemming from the chaotic ending of the 2026 World Cup final, calling the punishments excessive. Speaking in the mixed zone following Rosario Central's draw against Talleres at Argentina’s Liga Profesional de Fútbol, Di Maria was asked about the suspensions handed down to his […] Angel Di Maria weighed in on FIFA’s sanctions against several Argentina players stemming from the chaotic ending of the 2026 World Cup final, calling the punishments excessive. Speaking in the mixed zone following Rosario Central’s draw against Talleres at Argentina’s Liga Profesional de Fútbol, Di Maria was asked about the suspensions handed down to his former national team teammates. “I talk to Paredes every day. I think it’s exaggerated, it will surely end up being a lot less for all the guys, not just for him, but for Nahuel too,” the winger said, referencing Leandro Paredes and Nahuel Molina. Di Maria went on to suggest the incident that triggered the sanctions was understandable given the circumstances, even if the scale of the punishment surprised him. “It’s something that could happen because they got into it at the end, but it’s all pretty exaggerated,” he added. Leandro Paredes and Eric Garcia have words after the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final. (Getty Images) FIFA’s ruling included a 10-match suspension and a $90,000 fine for Paredes, a seven-match ban and the same fine for Molina, a one-match suspension and $30,000 fine for Thiago Almada, and a three-match ban with a $30,000 fine for assistant coach Roberto Ayala. AFA set to appeal FIFA’s sanctions The AFA, led by president Claudio Tapia, has already confirmed plans to appeal FIFA’s ruling, arguing the punishments were disproportionate to what took place after the final whistle in the World Cup final. The federation is hoping the appeal process trims down the suspensions for Paredes, Molina, and Almada, a sentiment Di Maria’s comments echo directly, though there’s no official timeline yet for when FIFA will rule on the appeal. Until then, the uncertainty leaves a cloud over Argentina‘s squad planning, with Paredes and Molina both facing lengthy absences that could stretch across multiple upcoming fixtures if the original sanctions are upheld. For now, Di Maria’s remarks reflect the mood inside the squad’s inner circle: cautious optimism that FIFA’s disciplinary committee will ultimately soften its stance once AFA’s case is heard.
Lionel Messi's Argentina received a harsh sanction from FIFA, following several incidents throughout their campaign at the 2026 World Cup. Lionel Messi’s Argentina have been hit with a significant sanction from FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee, which announced that the AFA must pay a total fine of $321,000 for a series of violations committed throughout the 2026 World Cup. The penalties cover discriminatory chants and gestures from Argentine fans across matches against Cape Verde, Egypt, Switzerland, England, and Spain, the display of the Falklands flag, and objects thrown onto the pitch during the Switzerland and England matches that delayed kickoff. As part of the sanction, Argentina must play their next two home matches with stadium capacity capped at 50%, and $100,000 of the fine must be directed toward an anti-discrimination program. A portion of the penalty, one match and $100,000, was suspended on probation. Individual suspensions handed out for World Cup final brawl Separately, FIFA also handed down individual sanctions tied to the chaotic scenes that broke out after Argentina’s 1-0 extra-time loss to Spain in the World Cup final on July 19. 🚨 OFFICIAL: FIFA suspensions following post Argentina-Spain clash, including 10 games ban for Paredes, 7 for Nahuel Molina and 1 for Pablo Gavi.🇦🇷 Paredes: 10-game ban + $90,000 fine🇦🇷 Molina: 7-game ban + $90,000 fine🇦🇷 Almada: 1-game ban + $30,000 fine🇦🇷 Ayala: 3-game ban… pic.twitter.com/FP8YWumcc7— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 21, 2026 Leandro Paredes received the harshest punishment, a 10-match suspension and a $90,000 fine, for grabbing Eric Garcia by the neck during the post-match brawl. Nahuel Molina was banned for seven matches and fined $90,000 after clashing with Rodri, while Thiago Almada received a one-match ban and a $30,000 fine. Assistant coach Roberto Ayala was also sanctioned, banned from the bench for three matches and fined $30,000 after punching Dani Olmo during the fracas. On Spain’s side, Gavi received a one-match suspension and a $30,000 fine as well. The AFA has confirmed it will formally request the grounds for FIFA’s ruling in order to pursue an appeal through the governing body’s Appeal Committee, with the Court of Arbitration for Sport remaining available as a final recourse should that process not resolve in Argentina’s favor.
Barcelona defender Eric Garcia looks set for a major change in role next season after revealing that Hansi Flick wants to use him as a right-back.The Spanish international started in that position dur...
The game between Argentina and Spain descended into chaos after the final whistle last month, when Paredes lost his cool and launched an attack on Eric Garcia and Gavi.
Tap a headline to view metadata and excerpt fields in Sportra, then use the article website button to continue on the original publisher page.
