Argentina fined $321,000 over Falklands World Cup protest - as Paredes faces 10 match ban
Fifa's Disciplinary Committee announced on Friday that the Argentinian Football Association (AFA) has been fined a total of $321,000 for several breaches of its code
Argentina has been fined $321,000 by Fifa over its Falklands World Cup protest that saw several players and coaching staff unfurl a banner following their triumph over England.
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Argentinian defensive midfielder Leandro Paredes, 32, now faces a 10-match ban as a result of his involvement in the stunt, which breached article 13 of Fifa's sporting code, the footballing body confirmed.
Fifa's Disciplinary Committee also announced on Friday that the Argentinian Football Association (AFA) has been fined a total of $321,000 for several breaches of its code relating to both player and fan behaviour.
The Falklands incident, which took place following Argentina's 2-1 World Cup victory over England in July, saw several team members and coaching staff unfurl a banner on the pitch which read "Las Malvinas son Argentinas" - translating to "The Falklands are Argentine".
Argentina has also been ordered to play its next two home matches with a reduced 50% capacity crowd, Fifa added, with one match of that sanction suspended.
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Argentina's president, Javier Milei, had previously insisted he was not afraid of sanctions, insisting he would cover any fine imposed by FIFA on players.
Speaking on sanctions, he added: "The Malvinas are Argentine. What the players did is understandable; emotion got the better of them."
Other breaches of the football association's code include the use of a sporting event for demonstrations - namely the unfurling of a banner on the pitch - team misconduct, discrimination and racist abuse and order and security at matches.
It comes as six members of Argentina's squad and coaching staff now face match bans and hefty fines, with defensive midfielder Leandro Paredes facing a ten match ban and $90,000 fine.
Other players reprimanded by Fifa include Nahuel Molina, who is facing a seven-match suspension and $90,000 fine, Thiago Almada facing a one-match ban and $30,000, Roberto Ayala (an Argentina team official), facing a three-match suspension and $30,000 fine, and Pablo Martín Páez Gavira, who faces a one-match suspension and a fine of $30,000.
It also stipulated that $100,000 of the $321,000 fine must be invested back into a plan to combat discrimination.
It comes amid the latest push for Fifa chief Gianni Infantino to resign over World Cup sell-off plan.
Described as a "betrayal football will never forget", one fan petition called for the immediate resignation of the Fifa chief this week.
The petition follows the news that a Fifa executive was sacked after criticising Infantino's plans to sell off World Cup.
Former Infantino ally Kevin Lamour said in the wake of the plan's announcement that staff at global football's governing body had felt "deceived" by the Swiss-Italian president.
In a statement reported by Sky News, a Fifa spokesperson said: "FIFA (sic) can confirm that the working relationship between FIFA (sic) and Kevin Lamour as FIFA's (sic) Chief Operating Officer has ended on 17 August 2026.