FIFA confirmed that Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes did not receive a red card for choking Spain player Eric Garcia in the 2026 World Cup final.
After the 2026 World Cup final, Argentine players showed bitterness upon witnessing Spain celebrate the goal. Many players and members of Argentina’s coaching staff rushed in to assault opponents.
Among them, midfielder Leandro Paredes was caught choking Eric Garcia and rushing in to push Gavi to the ground. Initially, according to multiple sources, referee Slavko Vincic had issued a red card to the Argentine star.
However, according to the latest information from the BBC, referee Slavko Vincic removed Paredes’ red card from the official match report. As a result, the Boca Juniors player is not facing any immediate penalty.
The Mirror commented: “FIFA’s official match statistics only recorded one red card for Argentina, which was Enzo Fernandez after receiving two yellow cards. Meanwhile, Paredes faced no penalty during the assault on the Spanish player.”
However, that does not mean Paredes has escaped punishment. FIFA is investigating three players—Nahuel Molina, Leandro Paredes, and Thiago Almada—and Argentina assistant coach Roberto Ayala for their involvement in the brawl. If these players are proven to have violated the rules, FIFA may issue additional sanctions.
Under Article 13 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, acts violating standards of conduct or damaging football’s image can be severely punished. In addition, Article 14 stipulates that players engaging in violent conduct such as punching, kicking, elbowing, biting, or attacking opponents will receive a minimum three-match suspension at the national team level.
Yahoo reported that the Argentine players were overly bitter and behaved uncivilly after the match. The actions of the La Albiceleste stars have faced harsh condemnation.
Commenting on ITV, defender Gary Neville stated: “It is a disgrace. I loved the fiery competitive spirit of the Argentina national team. They fought with everything they had in this tournament. Messi carried the responsibility well. However, their actions after the match against Spain were shameful.”
On the BBC, Alan Shearer asserted: “Paredes threw two or three hard punches to his opponent’s face. He even tried to target the opponent’s face in a malicious manner. Football has no place for actions like that. I understand how painful the defeat in the final was for the Argentine players, but the way they reacted was terrible.”
Additionally, Argentina is also under investigation over the display of a banner supporting disputed sovereignty with Britain over the Falklands-Malvinas Islands after the 2026 World Cup semifinal. FIFA does not accept the use of political messages during matches. Therefore, La Albiceleste is facing double penalties from FIFA.
