New Delhi: As Argentina continues its run to win two consecutive FIFA World Cup trophies, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation has launched an invetigation into the into the financial operation of the Argentine Football Association. The FBI, which has started to record testimonies, is looking at the alleged transfer of hundreds of millions of dollars from Argentina into America.
The investigation is looking into the transactions made by Argentine Football Association’s (AFA) President Claudio Tapia, who was most recently in Miami watching the men’s national team defeat Cabo Verde in the Round of 32 clash.
The story, first broken by the Argentine newspaper La Nacion, said that FBI investigators from Washington DC and Miami are leading the investigation.
The focus is to check whether the AFA is using the US banking system to launder its money, or committing fraud, both of which are chargeable offences under American law. Investigators are looking into the links between Tapia and TourProdEnter LLC, the firm run by Javier Faroni, an American-based company that is handling the international commercial contracts for the AFA.
Faroni and his wife, Erica Gillette, have come under the scanner, with the US authorities trying to trace their financial transactions through the banking system. Last week, the US authorities questioned businessperson Guillermo Tofoni, centring on how the AFA structures its international commercial commitments and whether Faroni and Gillette moved roughly $260 million worth of funds without proper reporting of the same.
La Nacion’s investigation into Faroni’s accounts shows transfers of millions of dollars to companies that are allegedly linked to companies linked to individuals involved with the AFA, including treasurer Pablo Toviggino.
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$90 million traced
Around $3,40,000 was allegedly paid out to the family of a so-called ‘spiritual guide’ by the AFA. The guide – Jose Almaraz, a former player described as a close associate of the AFA, has no defined role with the football body. However, he has travelled with the team for international tournaments, including the Copa America in 2024 and this year’s World Cup.
The overall movement of money involved banks such as JPMorganChase, Citibank, Synovus, Bank of America and the PNC Bank, according to La Nacion. Other irregular transactions, including the alleged transfer of roughly $4,68,000 to a company linked to Toviggino, $40,000 paid to a business partner, and roughly $2.3 million to a company run by an individual with no clear financial history, according to reports.
Investigators have traced roughly $90 million worth of transactions that could potentially be irregular in nature. Around $42 million worth of funds have been found to have been transferred through shell companies, while another $16.5 million was allegedly spent on luxury goods.
No one has been charged yet in relation to the ongoing investigations into the financial dealings of the AFA.
Despite the questions surrounding the financial transactions of the AFA, the world champions continue their march to the finals at the World Cup. Argentina came from behind to defeat Egypt 3-2 in the Round of 16 and has set a date with Switzerland.
Captain Lionel Messi is leading the scoring charts of the 2026 tournament with eight goals, and broke Miroslav Klose’s all-time tournament record of 16 goals early on in the tournament.
(Edited by Saptak Datta)