Three Argentina footballers have received suspensions for their involvement in a confrontation following last month’s World Cup final against Spain. However, their role in showing a Falkland Islands banner after the semi-final victory over England resulted only in financial penalties.
Fifa’s disciplinary committee handed Leandro Paredes a 10-game suspension and a $90,000 (£66,000) fine. Nahuel Molina received a seven-match ban and was ordered to pay the same amount.
Thiago Almada was suspended for one match and fined $30,000 (£22,000). Argentina coaching staff member Roberto Ayala received a three-game ban and an identical fine, while Spain midfielder Gavi was also banned for one match and fined $30,000.
The Argentinian football association (AFA) was fined $321,000 over the banner displayed after the match against England. It carried the words “Las Malvinas son Argentinas”, meaning “the Falkland Islands are Argentinian”. The penalty also addressed violations of Fifa’s anti-discrimination rules by Argentina supporters during other World Cup fixtures.
As part of the punishment for the discriminatory incidents, the AFA must limit attendance at Argentina’s next home match to 50% of the stadium’s capacity. A similar restriction for another fixture has been suspended, along with $100,000 of the total fine.
British politicians criticised the banner, and Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey called for the players involved in displaying it to be suspended. Uefa had previously punished two Spain players, Rodri and Álvaro Morata, after they sang about Spain’s claim to Gibraltar following their Euro 2024 victory.
On 6 August, the AFA declared that 15 July, the date of Argentina’s semi-final victory over England, would be observed in future as National Football Teams Day.
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