Argentina could get punishments for World Cup final chaos and banner | Football | Sport
Argentina’s second World Cup final appearance in succession should have been an iconic occasion. But the 2022 world champions walked away from the final at MetLife Stadium disgraced, and not because of the fact they lost 1-0 to Spain in extra-time.
Their role in the New Jersey final will be remembered for all the wrong reasons, having failed to register a single shot on target during regular time and constantly fouled their tiki-taka-playing counterparts. It all culminated in ugly scenes after the final whistle, which summed up why Lionel Scaloni’s side had received so much criticism for ill discipline throughout the World Cup. From their Falklands banner unfurled during the England semi-final game, to a brawl after Sunday’s final, The Argentine Football Association is unlikely to have heard the end of these two episodes, which may lead to hefty fines or more severe sanctions.
World Cup final brawl
According to FIFA Disciplinary Rules, any side that receives five or more individual cards in a single fixture is subject to an automatic fine for failure to maintain discipline amongst its players. The AFA should therefore be bracing itself for punishment over Argentina’s behaviour against Spain.
Lisandro Martinez, Leandro Paredes, Cristian Romero and Alexis Mac Allister all received yellow cards during the match while Fernandez was sent off following two bookings.
After the final whistle blew, what should have been a respectful contest descended into a disgraceful melee. Both Paredes, who received a direct red card following the match, and Nahuel Molina seemed to throw punches at the jubilant Spanish players.
Paredes specifically appeared to grab Spain substitute Gavi and hurl him to the turf after grabbing Barcelona’s Eric Garcia by the throat. Three particular breaches of Section 2 of FIFA’s Disciplinary Code could be triggered by these incidents.
Article 50 stipulates that anyone judged as actively participating in a brawl faces a mandatory minimum six-match ban. Article 52 relates to the AFA failing to control its players, but Rule 52(b) states that a separate fine can be imposed if multiple players or officials threaten, provoke or harass opponents or match officials.
Moreover, Article 48 states that any player who receives a direct red card or is caught retrospectively assaulting someone (punching, kicking, elbowing or choking) faces a compulsory minimum suspension of two matches, plus an individual fine. All of these articles could have been violated by Argentine players and the association may face disciplinary action.
Falkland Islands controversy
However, even prior to their shameful conduct after the final, Argentina’s players landed themselves in trouble following their 2-1 semi-final triumph over England. Scaloni’s team fought back from 1-0 down to beat Thomas Tuchel’s side and were ecstatic at the final whistle.
But several players, including Romero, Martinez and Giovani Lo Celso, marked the occasion on the pitch by displaying a flag bearing the words “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” (“The Falkland Islands are Argentine”), which were described as ‘outrageous’ and ‘disgraceful’ seasons back in the UK. This reference to the 1982 Falklands War, in which 907 lives were lost, directly violates Article 34.3 of the 2026 World Cup Match Protocol, which strictly prohibits any political, religious or personal slogans on the pitch. It prompted an official diplomatic complaint from the British government and FIFA’s independent disciplinary committee officially opened an assessment into the match reports.
In 2014, FIFA fined the AFA £20,000 after players displayed a banner carrying the same message before a 2-0 victory against Slovenia. A similar or more severe fine could be imposed following this incident.
