FIFA hands Argentina, Spain players bans, fines over World Cup final brawl

FIFA has announced punishments for the Argentinian and Spanish players involved in ugly clashes after the 2026 FIFA World Cup final in New York-New Jersey Stadium on July 19, 2026.

The football governing body's Disciplinary Committee announced match bans and hefty fines for players of the teams for post-match violence on August 21, 2026, Argentinian midfielder Leandro Paredes received the severest punishment. He has received a 10-match ban along with a $90,000 fine.

Other players who received punishments include:

• Argentina’s Molina: 7-game ban + $90,000 fine
• Argentina’s Almada: 1-game ban + $30,000 fine
• Argentina’s Ayala: 3-game ban + $30,000 fine
• Spain’s Gavi: 1-game ban + $30,000 fine

This comes more than a month after ugly scenes erupted post-final in which Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 to become football world champions.

FIFA announced an investigation into the issue and it announced the punishments citing misconduct, discrimination and other non-sporting acts in its disciplinary decisions.

The governing body has also ordered the Argentine Football Association to pay around $321,000 in fines. Around $100,000 of the total will go toward anti-discrimination efforts.

It has been confirmed that bans are for national team games which will potentially leave Argentina without several key players for their next fixtures.