Argentina’s appearance in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final left much to be desired. The team’s dominant display was marred by a poor performance that barely gave them a glimpse of goal – let alone a shot.
The tournament has been marred by controversy, with Argentina facing questions about their conduct throughout the competition. Two players have faced disciplinary charges for their actions on and off the pitch.
Leandro Paredes, a midfielder for Argentina, is one player who faces three charges related to his behavior in the final against Spain. The charges include assault, unsporting behaviour, and discriminatory chants and gestures by fans. If found guilty of any of these offenses, Paredes could face a multi-match suspension or an extended ban.
Nahuel Molina, another midfielder for Argentina, faces two charges related to his behavior in the final against Spain. The charges include assault and unsporting behaviour. Assistant coach Roberto Ayala is charged with discriminatory chants and gestures by fans.
The actions of Argentine players have also been criticized by FIFA officials. The governing body has issued disciplinary charges against the Argentinian Football Association (AFA) for using a sports event to demonstrate a non-sporting nature, specifically for displaying a banner that read “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” – “The Falkland Islands are Argentine”. This action was seen as a violation of FIFA rules and has led to accusations of racism against Argentina.
FIFA also charged the AFA with discriminatory chants and gestures by fans during the tournament. The charges include throwing objects at spectators in relation to several matches, which could result in shorter suspensions or warnings for individual players if found guilty.
The actions of Argentine footballers have sparked widespread criticism from international teams and officials. In response, FIFA has listed possible sanctions against Argentina’s players, including multi-match suspensions and extended bans for those who commit violent conduct.
Argentina’s federation faces a range of options available to FIFA in sanctioning the AFA, including substantial financial fines, formal warnings or reprimands, and orders to improve crowd control and match organization. The international community has been forced to play matches behind closed doors or face limits on supporter attendance at FIFA competitions in the past.
The controversy surrounding Argentina’s performance at the World Cup will likely continue to be a topic of discussion among football fans and officials for some time to come.
Based on reporting from Al Jazeera.
