Leandro Paredes is the subject of a FIFA disciplinary investigation after being charged with three counts of violent conduct in the aftermath of Argentina’s World Cup final loss to Spain. Under Article 14 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, each individual act of aggression carries a minimum three-match suspension, meaning the midfielder could be banned for up to nine international games.
The Boca Juniors player has, however, left the door open to avoiding the sanction altogether. Speaking a few days after the final, the 32-year-old suggested he may retire from international football, which would temporarily remove him from FIFA’s jurisdiction.
Footage showed three separate clashes
Television images from the final appear to show Paredes kicking and shoving Spain defender Eric Garcia before jabbing him in the throat. In a separate incident moments later, he is alleged to have grabbed Gavi and thrown the midfielder to the ground during another heated exchange.
Each of those actions is now being treated as a distinct charge of violent conduct. If found guilty on all three, Paredes would ordinarily face a nine-match ban under the disciplinary code.
Retirement hint and FIFA’s Article 70
When asked about his international future shortly after the final, Paredes said: “I don't know. It's a process: you have to digest it, think it through, avoid making rushed decisions, and it's certainly something that needs to be discussed.”
While hanging up his boots internationally could initially allow Paredes to sidestep punishment, FIFA retains the power to apply sanctions worldwide under Article 70. The governing body used that mechanism when Luis Suarez was banned from all football-related activity for four months after biting Giorgio Chiellini at the 2014 World Cup.
Such intervention is usually reserved for the most serious disciplinary offences, and Paredes is not regarded as falling into that category. FIFA has yet to issue a final ruling; although the full nine-match suspension remains possible under the regulations and past precedents, a five or six-game ban is widely considered the more likely outcome.
Other Argentina figures and AFA in the spotlight
Paredes is not the only Argentina figure facing disciplinary action. Nahuel Molina has been charged with two acts of aggression following the final, one completed and one attempted, while assistant coach Roberto Ayala faces a separate aggression charge that could also carry a suspension.
FIFA has additionally opened proceedings against the Argentine Football Association over alleged discriminatory chants and gestures, breaches of match and security regulations, delays to kick-off, inappropriate messages displayed by players and supporters, and the throwing of objects. If those allegations are upheld, the AFA could face a significant financial penalty and, in the most serious cases, partial or complete stadium closures for future home matches.
