Rumors claiming that top Argentine football officials were hauled in by U.S. authorities following the World Cup final are entirely unfounded, according to the Argentine Football Association (AFA).
Reports began circulating that AFA President Claudio Tapia and Treasurer Pablo Toviggino were intercepted and questioned by U.S. agents at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport shortly before boarding a flight back home with the national team. Those reports further suggested that federal agents confiscated their electronic devices and issued court summonses linked to the association’s international business contracts.
However, AFA swiftly shut down those claims , labeling the entire narrative as completely false. An association insider further dismissed the claims as pure fiction, while federal authorities declined to comment on the matter.
While denying any direct detention or seizure of property involving its top executives, the football governing body did confirm that a federal district court in Florida has issued a summons involving a third party connected to the organization. That inquiry requires the named individual to present specific communications and documentation to a grand jury, some of which may touch on federation officials.
This international scrutiny arrives at a sensitive time for the federation. Back home, Tapia—who has piloted the AFA since 2017—is already navigating local legal troubles, including separate investigations into alleged tax evasion and money laundering.
The legal noise also overlaps with growing political friction in Buenos Aires. Tapia, a former trade union leader, has found himself at direct odds with President Javier Milei’s administration, aggressively pushing back against the government’s push to privatize domestic football clubs.
