Slavko Vincic signaled the end of the match at MetLife Stadium in New York, and when everything seemed destined for celebration, to release the tension held during the more than 120 minutes that the World Cup final lasted, the Spanish players encountered an unexpected obstacle: Nahuel Molina and Leandro Paredes, two of the footballers who had defended the colors of the Albiceleste on the pitch, showed violent behavior against some members of the National Team.
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The first, a full-back for Atlético de Madrid, hit Rodri when the Madrid midfielder from Manchester City was running to embrace his teammates on the field. The second, registered with Boca Juniors, first assaulted Eric García and then Gavi, who had quickly come to the scene to defend his teammate in La Roja and Barça. Molina and Paredes were not, however, the only ones to lose their temper after the tournament’s conclusion, as Roberto Fabián Ayala, former defender for Valencia and Zaragoza and member of Lionel Scaloni’s coaching staff, attacked Dani Olmo just seconds after the brawl broke out.
Lamine Yamal, praying while a few meters away Paredes assaulted Eric García and Gavi https://t.co/zmcIVaQoME pic.twitter.com/ilQnL674PR
— EL PAÍS (@el_pais) July 20, 2026
The conduct of the Argentinians has quickly reached FIFA. The body led by Gianni Infantino has appointed a disciplinary inspector to investigate the behavior of the footballers and members of the Albiceleste and assess possible sanctions, according to this newspaper. This figure, responsible for analyzing the footage and making a decision about the actions of Molina, Paredes, and Ayala, has already received reports from the final’s referee, Slovenian Slavko Vincic, and the match’s field delegates. Considering precedents, however, FIFA’s ruling could still be delayed between 15 and 20 days.
The precedent of Luis Suárez
The sanction against Luis Suárez, one of the most symbolic and recent in the World Cup, was known not long after — due to the urgency of the calendar. On June 24, 2014, the Uruguayan forward bit Giorgio Chiellini during the Italy-Uruguay group stage match of the Brazil World Cup. Despite protests from the Italian side, the match referee, Mexican Marco Rodríguez, did not sanction Suárez on the pitch (VAR did not yet exist).
FIFA opened a disciplinary file ex officio a few hours after the match ended and only two days later, on June 26, 2014, relied on video footage to impose one of the most significant sanctions remembered: nine matches suspension with the Uruguayan national team, starting with the round of 16 of that same World Cup against Colombia; four months of disqualification from any football-related activity; and a fine of 82,000 euros.
It is true that, besides the severity and seriousness of the bite on Chiellini, FIFA also based its decision on Suárez’s recidivism, who had already bitten an opponent while playing for Ajax back in 2010, and Serbian Branislav Ivanovic of Chelsea when defending Liverpool’s colors in 2013, just one year before the World Cup.
The sanction, in any case, affected the Uruguayan striker beyond his role with the national team. That same summer, Suárez signed for Barcelona but had to wait until October 25, the date of the first league Clásico against Real Madrid, to debut with the Blaugrana jersey at Santiago Bernabéu, something similar to what could happen to the Argentine footballers now being investigated by FIFA for their violent conduct against Spain in New York.
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