FIFA Reduces Molina's Ban; Paredes' Sanction Remains Intact
FIFA’s Appeal Committee has offered Argentina a sliver of relief – and a firm reminder of its limits.
Nahuel Molina has seen his punishment reduced. Leandro Paredes has not.
According to Spanish outlet Marca, FIFA cut Molina’s suspension from seven matches to four and trimmed his fine from 90,000 dollars to 60,000. For the former Atlético Madrid full-back, it is a significant step back from the original verdict handed down after the stormy 2026 World Cup final against Spain.
For Paredes, nothing changed. The midfielder’s 10‑match ban remains in full, as does a 90,000‑dollar fine. No discount. No compromise.
Argentina prepares to take the fight to CAS
The Argentine Football Association (AFA) responded with a clear signal: this is not over.
In an official statement, the AFA confirmed it will request the full written grounds of FIFA’s decisions and then challenge them at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The federation stressed that it believes it has “sufficient arguments from both a factual and legal standpoint” to demand a review of the sanctions.
The timing is striking. CAS is already immersed in another high‑stakes case involving a major final: the crisis surrounding the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations showdown between Morocco and Senegal. A ruling in that matter is expected by the end of November, and the outcome will inevitably shape the climate into which Argentina’s appeal lands.
Discriminatory chants at the World Cup final under the microscope
At the heart of the dispute lie sanctions imposed by FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee over discriminatory chants heard during Argentina’s matches at the 2026 World Cup, including the final in July, where Spain edged a 1-0 win to claim the title.
FIFA punished the AFA with a 321,000‑dollar fine and imposed restrictions on crowd attendance at future national team fixtures. Those measures draw on several articles of FIFA’s disciplinary code and are tied to incidents across a string of games: against Cape Verde, Egypt, Switzerland, England and, ultimately, Spain in the final.
Individual sanctions followed. Thiago Almada received a one‑match suspension. Roberto Ayala, part of the Albiceleste technical staff, was hit with a three‑match ban. Molina and Paredes carried the heaviest load, with their cases now diverging sharply after the appeal ruling.
Back in August, FIFA had already granted one key request from Argentina: the players’ suspensions would be served across both friendly and official fixtures under the CONMEBOL umbrella, “whichever comes first”. That decision ensured the bans would not be parked indefinitely but would start cutting into the calendar immediately.
Now, with Molina’s sentence softened and Paredes’ left untouched, Argentina moves into the legal arena once more. The next whistle will not blow in a stadium, but in a CAS hearing room, where the shape of the Albiceleste’s future squads will be argued line by line.
