Argentine federation appeals Paredes' World Cup final ban to higher court

Argentina's football federation appeals Paredes' 10-match ban for misconduct in the World Cup final loss to Spain, after a lower appeal reduced Molina's suspension from seven to four games.

Leandro Paredes was sent off and subsequently banned for ten international matches after his conduct in Argentina's World Cup final defeat to Spain in the summer. During the match, which Argentina lost in extra time, Paredes struck Spanish players, grabbed Eric García by the throat, and violently brought down Gavi. Nahuel Molina also received a seven-match suspension for his role in the incident.

Argentina's football federation (AFA) appealed the sanctions and received a ruling on Friday. Molina's ban was reduced to four matches and several fines were adjusted, but Paredes' ten-match suspension remained unchanged. Unsatisfied with this outcome, the AFA announced it will take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in hopes of having Paredes' suspension reduced further.