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Argentina hit with fines, petitions and violence after 2026 World Cup final loss
FIFA fined the Argentine Football Association $75,000 after the 2026 World Cup final, citing seven yellow‑card and red‑card offenses accumulated in the match that ended 1‑0 in Spain’s favour.
A fan‑driven petition on Change.org gathered over 60,000 signatures demanding a replay of the final, alleging referee Slavko Vinčić’s biased decisions.
Violent incidents surrounding the match left three dead and about twenty injured in Argentina, with reports of a woman falling from a moving van, a bomb explosion in Neuquén and a cardiac arrest during a televised viewing.
Leandro Paredes, who was involved in a post‑match brawl, faced disciplinary scrutiny; Spanish midfielder Gavi later said he did not think Paredes should be banned.
FIFA also announced a fan‑voted “Dream XI”, surprisingly selecting Cape Verde’s goalkeeper Vozinha over the official Golden Glove winner.
The teams will meet again in a Finalissima slated for November in Lusail, Qatar, while Argentina’s coach Lionel Scaloni hinted he may step down after the year’s remaining FIFA windows.
The Argentine squad’s upcoming calendar includes a September‑October international window and a November set of friendlies as they prepare for future qualifiers.