Spanish Federation Works to Halt Gavi's Suspension

FIFA's Disciplinary Committee has rejected the appeal submitted by the Spanish Football Federation concerning the sanction imposed on Gavi, the Barcelona player, following the events that occurred during the 2026 World Cup final against Argentina.

Gavi has been handed a one-match suspension, along with a fine of €25,692, following an incident involving a confrontation with Argentine Leandro Paredes, who was also punished with a 10-match ban.

The incident involved a clash between Paredes and Eric Garcia, after the Argentine player pushed the Barcelona defender. Javi intervened to defend his teammate and confront Paredes, before the situation escalated and a Barcelona player fell to the ground amid interventions from the Argentine players.

The Spanish Football Federation has argued that Gavi did not commit any offense, stating that his intervention was aimed at protecting a teammate who was under attack. Therefore, they believe that opening a disciplinary case against him was unjustified.

According to reports, the Spanish Football Federation intends to request the reasoning behind the decision from "FIFA" within the next ten days, in preparation for a new appeal, while demanding a suspension of the one-year ban, which would only be enforced if the player commits a similar offense during the probation period.

The Spanish Football Federation is looking to rely on the precedent set by American Folarin Balogun, who previously faced a one-match suspension before FIFA decided to suspend its enforcement for a year. This could allow Gavi to participate with Spain against England on September 26 in the opening match of the UEFA Nations League qualifiers.