Football’s world body FIFA has punished six national federations, including Lionel Messi’s Argentina, after fans were involved in racist abuse during matches earlier this year. The announcement came through the sanctions list published by FIFA’s disciplinary committee.

The federations of Albania, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Serbia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina have all been fined, with amounts running into six figures in some cases. FIFA said the teams failed to control their supporters.

According to the Associated Press, Albania received the largest penalty of 161,500 Swiss francs ($200,000). The fine was linked to a June 7 home match against Serbia, where fans disturbed the national anthem and sent out “a message that is not appropriate for a sports event.”

FIFA also ordered Albania to reduce its stadium capacity by 20 per cent for one upcoming competitive match. That will apply to their 2026 World Cup qualifying game against Latvia.

The sanction comes just weeks before Albania and Serbia are set to meet again in Belgrade this October, in what is expected to be a high-stakes clash.

Defending World Cup champions Argentina were fined 120,000 Swiss francs ($149,000) for a charge of discrimination. The incident took place on June 10 during their match against Colombia.

Other nations also penalised

  • Serbia: Ordered to pay 50,000 Swiss francs ($62,000) for racist behaviour and other issues during a June 10 match against Andorra.

  • Bosnia-Herzegovina: Fined 21,000 Swiss francs ($26,000) for racism and other offences when hosting San Marino.

  • Chile and Colombia: Were also sanctioned, though FIFA did not share detailed information about their cases.

The sanctions are part of FIFA’s continued efforts to curb racism and offensive behaviour in football stadiums. The fines and stadium bans aim to hold federations accountable for their fans’ actions, ensuring matches remain safe and respectful.