Paredes banned 10 matches over brawl in World Cup final loss to Spain

The World Cup final ended, and what stuck in everyone's memory wasn't just the trophy Spain lifted. It was the brawl at midfield, with shoving, scuffling and players hitting the ground. That episode, which lasted barely a couple of minutes on the field in New Jersey, is going to cost the Argentine national team dearly for a good stretch of the next year and a half.

FIFA's Disciplinary Committee confirmed on Friday the sanctions for the Argentine players involved in the incidents that followed the match that crowned Spain champion. The harshest punishment went to Leandro Paredes, with 10 matches suspended and a fine of $90,000. Behind him came Nahuel Molina, suspended for 7 matches, and Thiago Almada, given 1 match.

What each player did

According to the ruling, the Boca captain was the central figure in the episode. He grabbed Eric Garcia by the neck and then went after Gavi, who ended up on the ground following the confrontation. Almada was also involved in that same skirmish, though his role was smaller, earning him just a one-game ban. Molina, for his part, was sanctioned for hitting Rodri. Also added to the list was Roberto Ayala, Lionel Scaloni's assistant coach, who was hit with a 3-match ban for shoving Dani Olmo.

None of the sanctioned individuals has spoken publicly yet, but FIFA's ruling makes clear that the Disciplinary Committee viewed these actions as serious offenses, beyond the understandable tension of losing a final in the closing moments.

The fine print that could shorten the wait

There's one detail that changes the outlook for Argentina: FIFA established that the suspensions must be served in the national team's next official matches, and that includes friendlies, not just official competition fixtures. That matters, because the next major tournament for the Albiceleste won't come until the 2028 Copa America.

Between September 2026 and November 2027, Argentina has six FIFA windows ahead, in which it could play as many as 16 friendly matches. The first runs from September 21 to October 6, 2026, with room for up to four matches; another follows between November 9 and 17. Then in 2027, four more windows are added, spread across March, June, September and November.

Given that schedule, Almada could serve his single-match ban in the very first friendly the team plays. Ayala will need three matches. Molina and Paredes, however, face a longer road: if the AFA makes full use of every window, the Atletico Madrid defender could finish serving his suspension by the end of 2026, while Paredes, in the best-case scenario, wouldn't be available until the September-October 2027 FIFA date, provided the national team plays the maximum number of friendlies possible in each call-up.

The schedule offers some relief, but it also forces Scaloni to plan carefully who plays and when, knowing that several of his regular starters will be sidelined for a good stretch of the friendlies remaining before the next Copa America.