Gavi Opposes Bans for Argentina as FIFA Reopens a Familiar Fight

Gavi says none of Argentina’s players should be suspended for the brawl that erupted after Spain’s 1-0 World Cup final win, even as FIFA opens a formal investigation into it. Spain won the title in extra time on Sunday for a second time in its history. The final whistle set off a scuffle involving players and coaching staff from both benches.

Argentina has been through this before. FIFA opened a strikingly similar case after the 2022 final, and it ended in a fine, not a single suspension. This time the video shows real punches and shoves instead of crude gestures, and a second FIFA case is already running over a political banner from the semifinal.

Gavi Wants the Red Card to Be the Only Punishment

Gavi, the Barcelona and Spain midfielder, was pulled into the chaos himself. Argentina’s Leandro Paredes tangled with him after the final whistle, and Gavi ended up on the ground. Spain forward Borja Iglesias then squared up to Paredes too.

Asked about it on Spanish radio, Gavi came down firmly on the side of leniency.

No, no. To tell you the truth, I don’t think they should be suspended. I understand it’s not a good image for the kids, for the children, but I think there’s also that side of football that’s a bit more aggressive.

Gavi said that to Cope, the Spanish radio broadcaster. He added that he would rather referee Slavko Vincic had just sent the offending player off during the match and left it there. “Perhaps the most logical thing for me would be to send him off during the match and that’s it,” he said. “In the end I think it’s all football, and it always has to be that way.”

What FIFA Is Reviewing From the Final

FIFA’s inquiry goes well beyond the Gavi-Paredes tangle. It will review the actions of Nahuel Molina, the Argentina defender accused of striking Spain’s Rodri in the chaos. It will also examine an apparent blow from Roberto Ayala, Lionel Scaloni’s assistant coach, aimed at Spain forward Dani Olmo.

Investigators are also looking at the trophy ceremony itself. Several Argentina players turned their backs as Spain lifted the World Cup, and FIFA is treating that as part of the same case.

• Nahuel Molina, accused of striking Spain’s Rodri during the post-match scuffle
• Roberto Ayala, caught on camera aiming a blow at Dani Olmo
• Several unnamed Argentina players who turned their backs during Spain’s trophy lift
• Giovani Lo Celso’s Malvinas banner from the semifinal against England, a separate case already open

No player has been formally charged yet. FIFA says it will weigh video, the referee’s match report and other documentation before ruling.

The Rulebook Behind FIFA’s Investigation

FIFA’s move rests on Article 36 of its Disciplinary Code. The code allows retroactive punishment, even for incidents a referee never carded in the moment.

Violent conduct under the code, defined to include “elbowing, punching, kicking, biting, spitting at or hitting an opponent,” can draw a ban of at least three matches, according to a breakdown published by Sport Resolutions, an independent sports dispute-resolution service. The same code lets FIFA punish the Argentine Football Association (AFA) itself if five or more of its players are individually sanctioned by the referee in one match, a threshold Sunday’s chaos may have brushed against.

What we know:

• FIFA has opened a formal case covering Molina’s alleged strike on Rodri, Ayala’s apparent blow on Olmo and the backs-turned trophy ceremony.
• A separate FIFA case over Lo Celso’s Malvinas banner from the semifinal is still open and unresolved.
• The Disciplinary Code allows suspensions of at least three matches for violent conduct, and can apply them retroactively.

What’s unconfirmed:

• Whether Leandro Paredes was actually sent off. FIFA’s own commentator information system briefly logged a red card for him during the post-match brawl, but FIFA later confirmed to the BBC that no disciplinary action was actually taken on the pitch at the time.
• Any timetable for a ruling, or which individual players, if any, will be formally charged.

A Federation With a Growing FIFA File

This is not Argentina’s first trip through FIFA’s disciplinary machinery. The pattern from last time is worth remembering now.

1. December 18, 2022: Argentina beats France on penalties in Qatar for a third World Cup title. Emiliano Martinez mocks Kylian Mbappe on camera, and players damage the media interview zone celebrating.
2. January 13, 2023: FIFA formally charges Argentina over “offensive behaviour and violations of the principles of fair play.”
3. Mid-February 2023: The case closes with a £18,300 fine (about $23,000) on the AFA. No player is suspended.
4. September 2024: Martinez is banned for two World Cup qualifiers after repeating the lewd trophy gesture and hitting a cameraman’s equipment.
5. July 2026: Argentina reaches a second straight final. A banner reading “Las Malvinas son argentinas” at the semifinal draws a fresh FIFA case before the final is even played.
6. July 21, 2026: FIFA opens its investigation into the final’s brawl, two days after Spain’s win.

Enzo Fernandez Joins an Ugly Shortlist

The brawl overshadowed the sending-off that helped cause it. Fernandez picked up a first yellow card in the 82nd minute for dissent. He picked up a second, and a red, in the 93rd minute for a reckless challenge on Spain’s Pau Cubarsi, leaving Argentina to play extra time with 10 men. Paredes had already been booked earlier for shoving Rodri in the back during regular time, a separate incident from the post-match scuffle.

BBC pundit Alan Shearer did not hold back. “How daft is that from Enzo Fernandez?” he said, noting the midfielder had no excuse since he was already on a caution for the same kind of protest.

Fernandez becomes only the sixth player sent off in a World Cup final.

Spain has now been on the winning side of two of these six finals: 2010 against the Netherlands, and this one against Argentina.

Messi’s Near-Record Run Ends in Tears

Away from the disciplinary mess, the final closed a personal chapter for Lionel Messi. He broke Miroslav Klose’s record of 16 career World Cup goals earlier in the tournament and finished with 21. Kylian Mbappe finished one ahead with 22 and took the Golden Boot Messi had also been chasing.

Messi walked off in tears after collecting his runner-up medal. A day later, he posted on Instagram.

“The pain is immense, and this wound will take time to heal,” he wrote, in comments reported by Al Jazeera. He added that reaching a second straight final was still something to hold onto.

Coach Lionel Scaloni struck a similar note days later, telling TyC Sports it was hard to accept the loss. “It is hard to digest that you did not win, that is clear,” he said. “As we carry the winning DNA, it is also good for us to know that we did not win and that in defeat we are also noble.”

Messi turns 43 during the 2030 World Cup in Spain, Portugal and Morocco. Scaloni has so far declined to say whether his captain, or Martinez, will keep playing internationally.

Will FIFA Ban Any Argentina Players?

Probably not many, if the 2022 case is any guide, though this file looks harder to wave through. FIFA fined the AFA after the last final and suspended no one, despite conduct far tamer than an assistant coach throwing a punch.

Gavi’s own preference, that the red card already shown to Fernandez should be the end of it, actually matches how FIFA has ruled before. But the code’s language on violent conduct was written for exactly what cameras caught this time, and Argentina now has two open cases stacked at once instead of one.

FIFA took close to a month to formally charge Argentina after the 2022 final, and another month after that to rule. Opened on July 21, this case is unlikely to produce a verdict before Argentina’s next match on the calendar.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Was Argentina Already Facing a Separate FIFA Investigation?

Argentina was already under review before the final kicked off. Giovani Lo Celso displayed a banner reading “Las Malvinas son argentinas” after the semifinal win over England, a message the UK government has already criticized. FIFA opened a case over that banner days before the final’s post-match brawl added a second one.

What Could Happen if FIFA Suspends Argentina Players?

Any ban would apply to Argentina’s next official matches, not just a friendly. That is exactly what happened to Emiliano Martinez in 2024, when a two-match FIFA suspension cost him World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela and Bolivia instead of a meaningless exhibition game.

What Did Enzo Fernandez Say After Being Sent Off?

Fernandez posted an emotional message to Argentina supporters on Instagram the day after the final, writing that competing isn’t just about winning, but about giving everything for the shirt. He thanked fans for their support throughout the tournament without addressing the FIFA investigation directly.

Is This Likely Lionel Messi’s Last World Cup?

Nobody has said so directly, including Messi himself. He will be 43 when the 2030 World Cup is played across Spain, Portugal and Morocco, and Scaloni has dodged questions about his captain’s international future since the final.