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Reports of Argentina Football Chief Being Detained in the U.S. Explained

Just before the FIFA World Cup, corruption allegations surfaced against the president and treasurer of the Argentine Football Association (AFA). Soon after, reports claimed that the two officials were detained and questioned by U.S. authorities ahead of the tournament's conclusion.

However, Argentina's football governing body has strongly denied those claims, calling them completely false. At the same time, the AFA acknowledged that U.S. authorities are investigating a third party connected to the organization.

According to international media reports, following Argentina's defeat to Spain in the World Cup final on Sunday, AFA President Claudio Tapia and Treasurer Pablo Toviggino were allegedly stopped at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York before boarding their flight home with the national team.

The reports claimed that U.S. authorities questioned the two officials over matters related to the AFA's international contracts, temporarily seized their electronic devices, and later issued court summonses.

In response, the AFA released an official statement dismissing the reports as "completely false."

A source within the association also told AFP that "the entire story is false." Meanwhile, the FBI declined to comment on the matter.

The AFA did confirm, however, that a federal court in Florida had issued a subpoena involving a third party, not the association's top officials.

According to the AFA, that individual has been instructed to appear before a grand jury and provide documents and communications related to several football federation officials and other individuals as part of the investigation.

Claudio Tapia has served as AFA president since 2017. The organization has also faced multiple investigations in Argentina, including allegations of money laundering and tax evasion, which remain under investigation.

Tapia, a former trade union leader, has also been involved in a long-running dispute with the administration of Argentina's right-wing President Javier Milei. The disagreement centers on Milei's proposal to privatize football clubs across the country—a move that Tapia has strongly opposed.

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