The World Cup Final Costs Leandro Paredes Dearly: Ten-Match Ban

FIFA's disciplinary commission has suspended Argentina's Leandro Paredes for ten international matches, over incidents that occurred at the end of the 2026 World Cup final against Spain, which Spain won 1-0 on 19 July in New York-New Jersey.

The sanctions in detail

• Leandro Paredes: ten-match ban
• Nahuel Molina: seven-match ban
• Thiago Almada: two-match ban
• Roberto Ayala, a member of Lionel Scaloni's coaching staff: three-match ban
• Gavi, on Spain's side: one-match ban

What happened?

Paredes became a focal point of the disorder that broke out right after the final whistle, accused of jabbing Eric García in the throat before turning his aggression toward Gavi. FIFA clarified that the sanctions will only apply to matches with the national teams, without affecting the players' club fixtures.

Key facts

• FIFA suspend Paredes for ten international matches over the final's incidents.
• Molina, Almada and Ayala were also sanctioned on Argentina's side, along with Gavi for Spain.
• The bans apply only to national team matches, not club fixtures.