FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee has opened proceedings against the Argentine Football Association (AFA) and players Nahuel Molina, Leandro Paredes, Thiago Almada and Gavi, over incidents that occurred during the 2026 World Cup, the organization announced today.
The AFA is under investigation for four alleged violations, related to non-sporting displays, inappropriate conduct, discriminatory or racist remarks, and issues of order and security during matches.
FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee will examine several matches involving two-time South American champion Argentina, which fell short of defending its world title after losing the final to European champion Spain 1-0 in extra time on July 19 in East Rutherford, United States.
Following Argentina’s semifinal win over England (2-1), players displayed a banner on the pitch reading “Las Malvinas Son Argentinas” (loosely translated as “The Falklands Are Argentine”), referencing the British overseas territory that was briefly occupied by Argentine forces in 1982 and is known to the United Kingdom as the Falkland Islands.
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Also recalling chants sung following Argentina’s round-of-16 win over Egypt (3-2), the Falkland Islands government denounced the South American team’s conduct in a letter sent to FIFA, calling on the organization, led by Italian-Swiss president Gianni Infantino, to apply its regulations consistently.
The Disciplinary Committee also opened a separate case to examine the clashes between Argentina and Spain during the World Cup final, with players Leandro Paredes and Nahuel Molina, along with assistant coach Roberto Ayala, all from Argentina, facing accusations of aggression. The midfielder will need to answer for three separate incidents, while the right-back faces two, one of which involves an attempted act of aggression.
Nahuel Molina is also being investigated for unsporting conduct during the tournament’s decisive match, along with teammate Thiago Almada and Spain’s Pablo Gavi.
