FIFA has officially opened a disciplinary investigation against Argentina over multiple incidents that occurred during and after the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.
Argentina lost 1-0 to Spain in the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, USA, on Sunday (July 19). After the final whistle, Nahuel Molina ran onto the field and appeared to strike Spain captain Rodri in the stomach.
At the same time, Leandro Paredes grabbed Spain’s Eric García by the throat in midfield and then pushed Gavi to the ground. At one point amid the chaos, Argentina assistant coach Roberto Ayala was seen throwing punches at Spain’s Dani Olmo. In the video that went viral, Ayala was seen being pushed away by Eric García.
Match referee Slavko Vinčić showed Paredes a straight red card to control the situation, while Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni tried his best to calm things down.
FIFA last week appointed an independent disciplinary and ethics prosecutor to investigate what happened in the aftermath of the final.
Based on the prosecutor’s recommendation, an investigation has been opened against Argentine defender Nahuel Molina (two charges), midfielder Leandro Paredes (three charges), and assistant coach Roberto Ayala for alleged physical assault under Article 14 of FIFA’s disciplinary code.
Molina has also been charged separately with disrespectful conduct, while Argentina’s Thiago Almada and Spain’s Gavi are also under disciplinary investigation on similar charges.
According to FIFA’s disciplinary code, a player or official found guilty of misconduct faces a minimum one-match ban, rising to a minimum three-match ban if found guilty of physical assault or violence.
It is not only certain players under scrutiny — the Argentine Football Association (AFA) is also under investigation on multiple charges, including spreading unsportsmanlike political messages (Article 13), misconduct by team officials (Article 14), racist and discriminatory behavior (Article 15), and disrupting the security and order of the match (Article 17).
Following the investigation, FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee will make a final ruling on the allegations.
