The Argentine Football Association (AFA) suffered another major shock as the FBI seized devices belonging to federation leaders in an investigation into a financial scandal worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
Three days after the defeat to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final, media in the country reported in unison that the FBI detained the private jet carrying the Argentina national team at JFK Airport (New York) to seize electronic devices from senior leaders of the Argentine Football Association (AFA).
According to Infobae, those affected include AFA President Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia, Secretary General and Treasurer Pablo Toviggino, alongside several board members. They are under investigation over allegations of fraud, embezzlement, and money laundering involving two businessmen, Diego Lucero and Javier Faroni.
While public opinion in Argentina continues to debate the refereeing in the final and float various match-fixing theories, media outlets in the country suggest that it is merely a “smoke screen” covering up the severe financial scandal encompassing the AFA.
According to investigative sources, AFA leaders were requested to provide documents to the Federal Court for the Southern District of Florida before July 30 as part of the investigation titled “AFA-Gate”.
At the center of the case is TourProdEnter LLC, a Florida-based company suspected of being a “shell” enterprise used to receive and transfer money from international sponsorship deals involving the Argentina national team between the post-latest World Cup period and 2030. Investigators believe this business received approximately 30% of AFA’s total commercial revenue during that timeframe.
Infobae stated that the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice began tracking financial transactions during the World Cup itself. The investigation focuses on the account system used to manage AFA’s international commercial contracts, with total questioned transaction values exceeding $300 million.
Bank data shows money flows transferred through major financial institutions such as Bank of America, Citibank, JP Morgan, Synovus, and PNC Bank. A single account was reported to have received nearly $14 million from contracts in Asia, Europe, and the Gulf region, but the funds remained for only 24 to 72 hours before being transferred to other accounts.
Prosecutors also suspect AFA failed to declare multiple revenue items in financial reports. Previously, authorities seized over 50 luxury vehicles and real estate worth over $20 million, reportedly registered under the name of an individual connected to President Tapia.
However, the AFA immediately dismissed the aforementioned information. In an official statement, the Federation affirmed there were no summons issued for President Claudio Tapia or Treasurer Pablo Toviggino, while denying that the FBI seized personal assets belonging to the two officials.
Tapia’s lawyer, Mariano Lizardo, also declared that his client had never been summoned, while Toviggino’s lawyer, Marcelo Rocchetti, asserted that his client received no requests from U.S. or Argentine courts.
Even so, the investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice remains ongoing, making “AFA-Gate” one of the largest financial scandals in the history of Argentine football.
