The Argentine Football Association (AFA) has dismissed reports that its president, Claudio Tapia, and treasurer, Pablo Toviggino, were detained by United States authorities after the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, describing the claims as entirely false.
The federation issued the clarification on Wednesday following media reports alleging that the two officials were stopped and questioned at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York before boarding the flight that returned Argentina’s squad home after Sunday’s World Cup final defeat to Spain.
According to the reports, Tapia and Toviggino were allegedly questioned by US authorities, had their electronic devices seized and were summoned to appear in court over the federation’s international commercial contracts.
However, the AFA categorically rejected the reports.
“All lies,” an AFA source told AFP, while the federation’s official statement described the allegations as “absolutely false.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) declined to comment on the matter.
While denying the detention claims, the AFA acknowledged that a district court in Florida had issued a summons involving a third party linked to the federation.
According to the association, the individual has been asked to appear before a grand jury and present documents and communications that may relate to several individuals, including AFA officials.
The federation stressed that the legal request does not involve the detention or arrest of any of its executives.
Tapia, who has led the AFA since 2017, remains under scrutiny in Argentina, where the federation is facing separate investigations into alleged money laundering and tax evasion.
Relations between the AFA and the administration of Argentine President Javier Milei have also deteriorated in recent years, largely due to Tapia’s opposition to Milei’s proposal to allow the privatisation of football clubs in the country.
The latest controversy emerged just days after Argentina’s national team returned home following its defeat to Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, with the federation insisting that reports of its top officials being detained in the United States are entirely unfounded.
(The Sun)
