Argentina players might be banned from football after the World Cup final as FIFA starts an investigation.
FIFA is opening an investigation into the aggressive behavior that happened after Spain’s 1-0 win over Argentina in the World Cup final. Videos showed several clashes between players from both teams, with Argentina’s Leandro Paredes and Nahuel Molina involved in the most serious incidents.
Paredes and Thiago Almada wrestled Spain’s midfielder Gavi to the ground. Earlier, Paredes had grabbed defender Eric Garcia by the neck. Molina seemed to throw a punch at Rodri while running past to celebrate with Spain. Argentina’s defender Nicolas Otamendi also shouted angrily at Rodri because of some comments made by Spain’s Aymeric Laporte before the match.
There are also talks that Argentina’s coach and former defender Roberto Ayala may have confronted Spain’s Dani Olmo. During the game, Enzo Fernandez was sent off with two yellow cards, and Paredes was thought to have been sent off after the final whistle. However, FIFA later confirmed that Paredes was not shown a red card by referee Slavko Vincic and removed the red card from their records.
Despite that, Paredes might still face a bigger punishment as FIFA is now looking into the post-match chaos at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. FIFA said, “After reviewing the match reports from the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, the Disciplinary Committee has assigned a Prosecutor to investigate possible rule violations related to the incidents after the game. More information will be shared once the investigation is finished.”
According to FIFA rules, players and staff can be punished in various ways for bad behavior. If someone is found guilty of violent acts like punching or kicking, they can get at least a three-match suspension. This suspension only applies to matches their team plays, which means for Argentina’s players, it would affect their future games. The Argentine Football Association could also face penalties if the whole team acted badly. Players and staff might also be fined, and FIFA can add more punishments if needed.
FIFA is also looking into Argentina’s 2-1 win against England in the semi-final. After that match, some Argentina players showed a banner saying “Las Malvinas son Argentinas,” meaning “The Falklands are Argentine.” The Falkland Islands are a British Overseas Territory, and locals voted almost unanimously to stay under Britain’s control. Argentina invaded the islands in 1982 but gave up after 74 days of fighting. Even now, Argentina still claims the islands belong to them.