Leandro Paredes is back in the headlines for all the wrong reasons, with fans calling for the Argentina midfielder to be banned after another ugly incident on the pitch following his antics in the 2026 World Cup final.
Paredes is already facing a lengthy suspension from FIFA following the chaotic scenes that marred the end of the World Cup final in New Jersey. FIFA’s disciplinary committee has charged him with three separate counts of aggression stemming from the brawl that broke out after Spain’s 1-0 extra-time win over Argentina, including grabbing Eric Garcia by the throat and wrestling Gavi to the ground.
How long will Paredes be banned?
Under FIFA’s disciplinary code, each act of aggression carries a minimum three-match ban, meaning Paredes could theoretically be facing a suspension of up to nine matches, though a ban in the region of five or six games is thought to be the more realistic outcome.
The scenes at MetLife Stadium sparked fierce criticism. Gary Neville didn’t hold back on ITV, branding Paredes’s conduct “a disgrace” and adding that he’d “just been a disgrace for the last couple of games”. Alan Shearer was equally scathing on the BBC, saying: “Paredes threw two or three haymakers into someone’s face. He went for them. There is no place or space for that… The reaction after the final whistle is terrible.”
That history is exactly the problem for Paredes. This isn’t the first time he’s found himself at the centre of a storm – Argentina fans and neutrals alike will remember his role in the ugly scenes during the 2022 World Cup quarter-final against the Netherlands, when he kicked the ball into the Dutch dugout as tempers flared late in the game, helping ignite a mass brawl.
|
Year |
Match |
Incident |
Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
|
2015 |
Zenit vs Akhmat Grozny |
Accused of deliberately getting sent off to serve a ban before the Copa Libertadores final |
Denied it, served one-match ban, played in final |
|
2022 |
Argentina vs Netherlands, |
Kicked the ball into the Dutch dugout, sparking a mass brawl |
Booked, Argentina later charged by FIFA |
|
2026 |
Argentina vs Spain |
Grabbed Eric Garcia by the throat, threw Gavi to the ground in post-match brawl |
Charged with 3 counts of aggression |
|
2026 |
Boca 2-2 Newell’s |
Kicked the ball at grounded Newell’s player Facundo Guch |
Booked, facing calls for ban |
Now, just weeks after the World Cup final controversy, Paredes has done it again – this time back on domestic duty.
Paredes involved in new incident for Boca Juniors
During Boca Juniors’ 2-2 draw with Newell’s Old Boys in the Torneo Clausura, with play already stopped for a foul, Paredes deliberately kicked the ball at Newell’s midfielder Facundo Guch from close range as the player was down on the ground and facing away from him.
The moment immediately sparked a furious reaction from Newell’s players, who surrounded Paredes to remonstrate, and a brief but tense confrontation involving shoving and protests broke out before order was restored. The referee had little hesitation in showing Paredes a yellow card, though several observers in Argentina argued it should have been a straight red given the deliberate nature of the act.
The timing could hardly be worse for Paredes, who is still awaiting the outcome of FIFA’s investigation into his World Cup final conduct. Coming so soon after his role in one of the most talked-about brawls in the tournament’s history, the Boca incident has only added fuel to the fire online, with fans across social media renewing calls for football’s governing bodies to come down hard on the 32-year-old.
‘This guy should be sanctioned by FIFA, he is a cancer in football,’ one fan wrote on social media, while another added the midfielder is ‘obviously in the wrong sport’ and several called the behaviour ‘disgraceful’.
Whether this latest flashpoint plays any part in FIFA’s deliberations over his World Cup ban remains to be seen, but it’s unlikely to do Paredes any favours as he waits to discover just how long he’ll be sidelined. For a player already fighting to salvage his reputation after the final whistle in New Jersey, kicking the ball at a downed opponent barely a fortnight later is a look he could have done without.