How Do Argentina's 21-Game Bans Compare to FIFA's Biggest Punishments?
After a brawl following the World Cup final, FIFA handed out some of its harshest penalties in recent memory — but history shows even tougher punishments have come before.
FIFA, the organization that runs world soccer, handed out bans totalling 21 games to Argentina players and staff after a brawl broke out at MetLife Stadium. The fight happened right after Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in extra time in the World Cup final. FIFA investigated what happened and punished several people involved in the incident. These are some of the harshest bans FIFA has given out in recent years.
Midfielder Leandro Paredes received the biggest punishment — a 10-game ban and a $90,000 fine. Defender Nahuel Molina was suspended for seven games and fined the same amount. Attacking midfielder Thiago Almada got a one-game ban for unsporting behavior, and team official Roberto Ayala was suspended for three games for assault. Almada and Ayala were each fined $30,000.
The trouble started right after the final whistle, when Spain was celebrating its win. Paredes appeared to throw Spain's player Gavi to the ground. FIFA charged Paredes with three counts of assault and Molina with two counts. Gavi also received one charge of unsporting behavior.
The Argentine Football Association, which runs Argentina's national soccer program, was also punished. It was fined $310,000 and ordered to play its next home game with half the stadium empty. These penalties were related to fan behavior, including discrimination and racist abuse by supporters in the crowd.
Paredes' 10-game ban is one of the longest FIFA has ever given a player. It is often compared to the ban given to Uruguay striker Luis Suarez in 2014. Suarez bit Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini during a World Cup group stage match in Brazil. He was banned from all football for four months and nine games for Uruguay. Paredes was charged with multiple separate actions, which helped lead to his long suspension.
FIFA has also given out lifetime bans in extreme cases. Chilean goalkeeper Roberto Rojas was banned for life in 1989 after he faked an injury during a World Cup qualifying game against Brazil. An investigation found that he had hidden a razor blade in his glove and cut himself on purpose. Brazil was awarded the game, and Rojas was banned for life, though his ban was later lifted in 2001.
Another lifetime ban went to Indonesian defender Mursyid Effendi in 1998. During a group stage match in the Tiger Cup, he deliberately scored an own goal so his team would lose and avoid playing Vietnam in the semi-finals. The plan did not even work — Indonesia lost to Singapore in the next round anyway. Effendi never played again.
Diego Maradona, one of the most famous soccer players ever, received a 15-month ban in 1994 after he failed a drug test at the World Cup in the United States. The banned substance was ephedrine, a stimulant. Maradona never played for Argentina again after the ban. Croatia's Josip Simunic also received a 10-game ban in 2013 for leading fans in a chant linked to a fascist group.
While Paredes' actions were ugly but perhaps not as eye-catching as the Suarez incident, the fact he was accused of multiple separate actions instead of one isolated incident clearly made a difference in his 10-game ban.
Comprehension quiz preview
1. How many total games were Argentina's players and staff banned for combined?
2. What did Roberto Rojas hide in his glove during the 1989 World Cup qualifying game?
3. How long was Diego Maradona banned from all competitions in 1994?