Fifa reduce Argentina players’ punishments for disgraceful World Cup final antics including Leandro Paredes punch-up

FIFA have reduced the punishments for Argentina’s disgraceful World Cup final antics. Thug Leandro Paredes was slapped with a TEN-match ban and fined £66,500 for his shocking behaviour at the end. Leandro Paredes’ ten-match ban can now be served in friendlies as well as official games Credit: AP He lost his cool at the end of the World Cup final and swung at Gavi Credit: AP Nahuel Molina, Thiago Almada and coach Roberto Ayala also received bans and fines. Molina got a seven-match ban, Almada one and Ayala three. Sign up for the Football newsletter Thank you! All four were involved in the horrendous brawl after full-time at the MetLife, with Paredes found guilty of three counts of “assault” after punching Spaniard Gavi and showing him to the ground. Paredes was set to effectively be suspended from international football for more than a year. However, Fifa approved the Argentine FA’s request to allow the bans to be served in Class A friendlies – as well as official games. And it means the majority of Paredes’ suspension could be served before the end of 2026. Argentina have not confirmed their fixture schedule but have already booked their spot at the 2030 World Cup as co-hosts and therefore do not need to go through qualifying. The next Copa America, meanwhile, is not until 2028 – but there is no qualification for South American teams to play. Most read in Football CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS Nahuel Molina got a seven-match ban for his involvement Credit: Reuters But with the possibility for the three players – and coach – to serve their bans in friendlies, Argentina may decide to arrange a host of games as soon as possible. There is now two international breaks in the autumn – a longer one where teams can cram in four matches across September and October before the regular two-break window in November. Should Argentina arrange six Class A friendlies during that time, Paredes will have only four more to serve going into 2027 and Molina one, while Almada could play again from the end of September. Incredibly, the Argentine FA are still hoping to cut the bans down and plan to appeal for reductions. They were also hit with a whopping £237,000 fine and must play their next home match with a 50 per cent capacity for other violations during the tournament. That included their ‘The Falklands are Argentine’ banner displayed after the semi-final win over England. The ‘Malvinas’ banner saw Argentina found guilty of “using a sports event for demonstrations of a non-sporting nature”. In addition, the Argentines were held responsible for “team misconduct” after the game and “discrimination and racist abuse” by their fans as well as breaking rules on “order and security” at matches. Argentina said in a statement on Thursday: “The Argentine Football Association (AFA) has formally requested Fifa to allow the sanctions imposed on its players during the 2026 World Cup final, and on the association itself, to be served in Class A friendly matches and/or official matches, whichever comes first. “Based on the AFA’s submission, Fifa’s Disciplinary Committee has deemed the request approved in accordance with current regulations. “Nevertheless, the AFA, in defense of its rights and those of its players, is awaiting the written justification for the decisions in order to file the corresponding appeals with FIFA’s Appeals Committee, with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) potentially as the final recourse.” Comment now