Argentina have found a potential way to significantly reduce the time their suspended players will spend on the sidelines following the ugly scenes that marred the aftermath of their World Cup final defeat to Spain.FIFA handed punishments to three Argentina players and assistant coach Roberto Ayala last week after reviewing their involvement in the post-match confrontation that followed Spain’s 1-0 victory.Leandro Paredes received the harshest punishment of the group. The midfielder was suspended for 10 matches and fined £65,000 after being involved in a series of incidents with Spain players. Paredes was seen grabbing Eric Garcia around the neck before punching Gavi in the face and knocking him to the ground.FIFA drops hammer on Argentina: 21-match ban, hefty fines, and stadium closureNahuel Molina was also punished for his role in the confrontation. The Argentina defender struck Spain captain Rodri in the torso as he passed by, leading Rodri to turn around and confront him. Molina was subsequently handed a seven-game suspension.Thiago Almada and Spain's Gavi were both given one-match bans for their respective involvement in the altercation.However, Argentina have now received approval for friendly internationals to count towards the suspensions. That could allow the three players to serve their bans much faster than initially expected, particularly if the national team schedules a number of friendlies during the upcoming international windows.The Argentine Football Association has also made it clear that it intends to challenge the original punishments through the appeals process.##EDITORS_CHOICE##"The AFA has formally requested FIFA to allow the sanctions imposed on its players during the 2026 World Cup final, and on the association itself, to be served in Class A friendly matches and/or official matches, whichever comes first," a statement read. Based on the AFA's submission, FIFA's Disciplinary Committee has deemed the request approved in accordance with current regulations."Nevertheless, the AFA, in defence of its rights and those of its players, is awaiting the written justification for the decisions in order to file the corresponding appeals with FIFA's Appeals Committee, with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) potentially as the final recourse."The ruling gives Argentina an opportunity to make the most of the next international breaks by organising additional friendly matches. Doing so would enable Paredes, Molina and Almada to work through their suspensions without necessarily missing as many competitive internationals.🇦🇷 A KEY CHANGE FOR ARGENTINA!FIFA approved AFA’s request to allow its players to serve their suspensions in Class A friendlies as well.👀 Paredes, Molina and Almada now have more opportunities to reduce their bans.🤔 Can they speed up their return?#beINSPORTS #Argentina… pic.twitter.com/514RxNtbrp— beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) August 27, 2026 t>Argentina have not yet announced their next fixtures, although their recent history suggests there could be room for such a plan. Following their 2022 World Cup triumph, they played four friendlies before returning to competitive action.For Paredes in particular, the change could prove hugely important. His original 10-match suspension threatened to keep him away from the Argentina squad for a considerable period, whereas the new arrangement provides the reigning world champions with a way to accelerate his return.##NAJAVA_MECA_9922037##
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