FIFA Cracks Down on Racism with Fines Against Six National Teams, Including Argentina

In a strong move against racism and discriminatory behaviour, FIFA has imposed significant fines on six national football federations, including World Cup holders Argentina, for incidents involving fan abuse during June’s World Cup qualifying matches.

The countries penalized—Albania, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Serbia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina—were all found guilty of “discrimination and racist abuse,” according to FIFA’s disciplinary committee. While the organization did not release specific details of the incidents, the sanctions reflect a firm stance against racism in football.

Albania received the heaviest punishment, fined 161,500 Swiss francs (approximately $200,000) for multiple offenses during their June 7 home match against Serbia. In addition to racism, charges included disrupting the national anthem and broadcasting “a message that is not appropriate for a sports event.” FIFA also ordered Albania to reduce stadium capacity by 20% for an upcoming home fixture. They host Latvia next week in a group led by England.

Tensions between Albania and Serbia are long-standing, both politically and in football. Their past encounters include the infamous “drone game” in Belgrade in 2014 during a European Championship qualifier. Their June match in Tirana ended in a goalless draw, with the reverse leg scheduled for October 11 in Serbia.

Argentina, the reigning world champions, were fined 120,000 Swiss francs (around $149,000) for racist fan abuse during a June 10 match against Colombia in Buenos Aires, which ended 1-1. Additionally, midfielder Enzo Fernandez received a two-game ban and a personal fine of 5,000 Swiss francs ($6,200) for a dangerous tackle. Argentina has already secured qualification for the 2026 World Cup.

Chile was fined 115,000 Swiss francs ($143,000) following a 1-0 home loss to Argentina on June 5, also due to racist behavior from fans. Colombia faced a penalty of 70,000 Swiss francs ($87,000) for similar issues during a match against Peru on June 6.

Serbia was handed a 50,000 Swiss francs ($62,000) fine after racist incidents and other offenses during their June 10 game against Andorra. Bosnia-Herzegovina was fined 21,000 Swiss francs ($26,000) for racism and other misconduct while hosting San Marino.

In most cases, FIFA also ordered the federations to implement a “prevention plan” to combat future occurrences.

Separately, FIFA closed an investigation into alleged racism at the Club World Cup involving Gustavo Cabral of Mexico’s Pachuca and Real Madrid defender Antonio Rüdiger, citing lack of evidence. Cabral denied any racist intent, stating he used a common Argentine insult.

These six-figure penalties signal a renewed commitment by FIFA to eliminate racism from football, following global calls for tougher action across the sport.