FIFA hands out heavy bans to Messi's Argentina teammates after World Cup final brawl
FIFA has issued severe sanctions against several Argentina players following a brawl after the World Cup final against Spain, with all involved punished.
Key Takeaways
AIThe International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) on Friday imposed heavy sanctions on several Argentina national team players, a month after a brawl erupted following the World Cup final between Argentina and Spain. The penalties targeted all those involved in the incident.
FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee handed Leandro Paredes a 10-match suspension for being the most violent in the closing minutes of the match. Nahuel Molina received a seven-match ban for an unprovoked assault on Rodri. Almada was suspended for one match for holding Gavi while he was being attacked by Leandro, and Ayala, a member of the coaching staff and a former footballer, was banned for three matches after punching Dani Olmo. Gavi, the only Spanish player sanctioned, was suspended for one match for pushing Eric Garcia, who was also assaulted by Paredes.
The committee also issued sanctions against four members of the Argentina squad and imposed substantial financial penalties on them.
Paredes and Molina were each fined €77,000, while Almada and Ayala—who is a member of the coaching staff and a former footballer—as well as the Barcelona player, were fined €25,000 each.
As a result, Gavi will be unable to play against England at Wembley Stadium on September 26 in the UEFA Nations League.
According to Article 69, paragraphs 2a and 3, of the Disciplinary Code, suspensions are carried over to the next matches for the respective national teams, meaning the three Argentina players will be ineligible for upcoming fixtures covered by their bans.