FIFA officially announced on Tuesday a one-match suspension for Nicolás Otamendi, who will not be able to play in Argentina National Team's debut at the 2026 World Cup. The decision was published in a disciplinary bulletin from the organization, which also imposed a fine of 5,000 Swiss francs (about 6,300 dollars) on AFA.
The sanction corresponds to the straight red card the defender received on the last matchday of the South American Qualifiers, against Ecuador in Guayaquil, for "denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity to the opposing team." In that play, Colombian referee Wilmar Roldán showed him the red card after a foul on Enner Valencia, and VAR confirmed the decision.











