The Spanish newspaper Marca reported that the Argentine national team could be excluded from the 2026 World Cup due to a corruption case directly implicating the president of the Argentine Football Association (AFA), Claudio Tapia.
Argentine authorities are currently investigating Tapia’s exorbitant wealth, raising numerous questions about its source and suspicions that he abused his power to amass illicit funds.
Argentine police raided a luxurious mansion registered to Real Central SRL, a company linked to Luciano Pantano and Ana Lucia Conti, who are suspected of acting as financial fronts for the AFA president.
The newspaper explained that this action comes in addition to raids carried out at more than 15 clubs, all directly connected to various corruption cases involving Tapia and his inner circle.
It may seem like an internal Argentine matter, but in reality, if the corruption charges against Tapia and his associates are proven, the Argentine government may be forced to intervene and remove him from his position. This would violate FIFA regulations prohibiting government interference in national football federations.
If this happens, FIFA will be forced to suspend all football activities in Argentina, including the national team’s participation in the 2020 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The anxiety in Argentina is so great that national team coach Lionel Scaloni is unsure whether his team will play Spain in the Copa del Rey next March, given the precarious situation and the potential repercussions.
It’s worth noting that the Argentine national team has been drawn in the same group as Algeria, Jordan, and Austria for the 2026 World Cup.
