The Argentine Football Association has denied the accuracy of reports that its president Claudio Tapia and treasurer Pablo Toviggino were detained by US authorities after leaving the United States following the 2026 World Cup final.

In an official statement, the Association confirmed that the news circulating about the officials being detained or interrogated at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York, and their electronic devices being confiscated, is baseless, describing the allegations as "completely false."

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The statement came in response to media reports claiming that Tapia and Toviggino were investigated by US authorities before leaving US soil with the Argentine national team delegation, following the loss of the final match to Spain. In contrast, the Argentine Association acknowledged that an investigation is being conducted by US authorities, but clarified that it targets a third party with a relationship to the Association, not any of its officials directly. The statement noted that a court in Florida had issued a subpoena to this party to appear before a grand jury and provide documents and correspondence that may be linked to a number of individuals, including officials from the Argentine Association. Meanwhile, a source within the Association told AFP that what was circulated about the detention of Tapia and Toviggino is "completely untrue," while the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) declined to comment on those reports. Claudio Tapia has been president of the Argentine Football Association since 2017, and in recent years the Association has faced a number of investigations in Argentina, including cases related to suspicions of money laundering and tax evasion, in addition to strained relations with the government of President Javier Milei.