Argentine Football Association President Prevented from Leaving Country Amid Tax Investigation
In Buenos Aires, an Argentine court has prohibited Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia, the head of the Argentine Football Association (AFA), from travelling abroad and has ordered him to appear in court as part of an ongoing tax investigation.
Tapia is required to attend a hearing on March 5 in connection with allegations brought by Argentina’s federal tax agency, ARCA, which accuses him and other senior AFA officials of tax evasion and the improper handling of social security contributions.
Alongside Tapia, several other executives from the AFA have also been hit with travel bans due to the gravity of the accusations. Authorities are scrutinizing whether the association failed to pay required taxes and withheld pension payments owed to players and staff between March 2024 and September 2025.
Police previously raided AFA headquarters in December, just months before Argentina — the reigning World Cup champions — begin their title defence at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The AFA has publicly denied any wrongdoing, calling the allegations part of a “smear campaign” tied to a dispute with a private promoter over the organisation of friendly international matches. The association has also suggested the matter involves broader political tensions under President Javier Milei, who has advocated restructuring football club governance in Argentina.
