![Argentina's head coach Lionel Scaloni (C,R) tries to intervene as Argentina's midfielder #05 Leandro Paredes clashes with Spain's defender #04 Eric Garcia at the end of the 2026 World Cup football tournament final match between Spain and Argentina at the New York/New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford on July 19, 2026. (Photo by JUAN MABROMATA / AFP via Getty Images) / "The erroneous mention appearing in the metadata of this photo by JUAN MABROMATA has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [Argentina's head coach Lionel Scaloni (C,R) tries to intervene as Argentina's midfielder #05 Leandro Paredes clashes with Spain's defender #04 Eric Garcia] instead of [Argentina's head coach Lionel Scaloni (C,R) clashes with Spain's defender #04 Eric Garcia].](https://citisportsonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Par-1.jpg)
A pair of Argentine players have been handed multiple game suspensions by football’s world governing body, FIFA, for their involvement in the fracas that ensued after the conclusion of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final.
Leandro Paredes and Nahuel Molina were involved in heated physical altercations against Spanish players after Argentina lost 1-0 to Spain after extra time in the final.
Paredes who clashed multiple times with Spanish players including Gavi was suspended for 10 games while Molina was suspended for seven games.
Spain players Eric Garcia and Dani Olmo were also attacked after the game. Argentina has also been ordered to play two home games at 50% capacity as punishment.
There was further punishment for the Argentina Football Association (AFA) as the federation got hit with a $321,000 fine after several players of the National Men’s Football Team displayed a politically laced banner after Argentina beat England 2-1 at the 2026 World Cup semifinals.
After the win, some Argentina players displayed a banner with the inscriptions “Las Malvinas Son Argentinas”- “The Falklands are Argentine” which stems from the war between the two countries fought in 1982 over the British controlled Falkland Islands.
