News of afa

2025 – YEAR IN PREVIEW

What lies ahead for Argentine football in 2025

03-01-2025 07:59 Your (tongue-firmly-in-cheek) guide to what lies ahead for Argentine football in the next 12 months.

by Dan Edwards

Clubs or companies? Milei takes on football authorities

12-11-2024 21:18 Most football clubs In Argentina are non-profit civil associations controlled by the members, who pay a monthly fee and have voting rights. President Javier Milei, however, wants to open up the game to private capital.

FOOTBALL

Clubs re-elect ‘Chiqui’ Tapia as AFA chief in defiance of Milei government

18-10-2024 07:21 Claudio ‘Chiqui’ Tapia easily wins re-election as chief of Argentina’s domestic football federation, laying down a challenge to President Javier Milei’s government.

Football in Argentina

River cling on in Santiago to round off another eventful week

21-09-2024 00:33 River in the Libertadores, a title race is looking like a procession, Messi explodes back onto the scene, a ‘Chiqui’ Tapia masterclass and the futsal ‘muchachos’ fly the flag.

by Dan Edwards

FOOTBALL & POLITICS

AFA chief Tapia, with Riquelme in tow, extends mandate to 2028

17-09-2024 15:57 ‘Chiqui’ set to extend seven-year stay at helm of domestic football’s governing body after no challenger emerges for upcoming elections; Boca legend Juan Romàn Riquelme joins Tapia’s team.

FOOTBALL & POLITICS

Court blocks Milei’s privatisation plan for Argentina’s football clubs

04-09-2024 15:20 President’s decree forcing football governing body AFA to accept private capital into nation’s football clubs blocked by injunction until definitive ruling issued by courts.

FOOTBALL & POLITICS

AFA calls elections with ‘Chiqui’ Tapia seeking third term

03-09-2024 17:38 Head of Argentine football’s governing body, fresh off the back of World Cup and Copa América triumphs, will seek a third term in October elections; Move comes as President Javier Milei seeks sweeping changes to structure of the national game.

FOOTBALL & POLITICS

Milei’s sets collision course with AFA in club ownership row

23-08-2024 14:41 A conflict is brewing that could tear the nation's game down the middle. President Milei’s government is bent on imposing a new club ownership model that would privatise sporting institutions, but its arguments for the change do not stand up to scrutiny.

by Dan Edwards

SPORTS OWNERSHIP BATTLE

Milei orders AFA football authorities to accept privately owned clubs

15-08-2024 13:50 New government decree signed by Javier Milei advances move to introduce private limited companies into the local football ecosystem; President gives AFA, federations and clubs one year to change statutes and allow "sporting corporations" into league pyramid.

INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL

Messi out of Argentina friendlies with hamstring injury, confirms AFA

19-03-2024 09:40 Skipper suffers hamstring injury while playing for Inter Miami and will miss friendlies against El Salvador and Costa Rica.

FOOTBALL IN ARGENTINA

Tevez’s spat with Tapia shows consequences of AFA’s chaos

08-03-2024 11:23 Carlos Tevez declared open rebellion against Argentine football's reigning powers this week after seeing his Independiente side held against Barracas Central, in a match peppered with dubious refereeing decisions.

by Dan Edwards

International football

Argentina to tour US after China cancels friendlies in Messi spat

22-02-2024 21:12 World champions will play El Salvador in Philadelphia on March 22 and Nigeria in Los Angeles four days later.

FOOTBALL

Buenos Aires to host Copa Libertadores 2024 final

13-02-2024 15:13 AFA confirms that final of Copa Libertadores 2024 will be played in Buenos Aires, though association doesn't confirm which stadium will host event.

FOOTBALL & POLITICS

Leaders of local football offer explicit support to Massa

17-10-2023 13:54 AFA President Claudio Tapia not only shows his support for Sergio Massa’s presidential candidacy, he also predicts in public that the economy minister will be Argentina’s next head of state. With the return of tax exemptions for clubs serving as a key message to the local leaders of the national game, the Unión por la Patria leader continues to develop his power-base in domestic football.

by Agustín Colombo

INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL

Indonesia fans vexed after Messi pulls out of friendly

16-06-2023 09:28 Indonesian fans devastated after star pulled out of a friendly in Jakarta.

FOOTBALL

Posh Miami enclave to become US football hub with FIFA, Messi set to move in

13-06-2023 09:43 Lionel Messi isn’t the only football powerhouse heading to Miami – FIFA, the organisers of the global game, are looking to lease property in the region ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

FOOTBALL BETTING

Gambling firms cash in as sports betting encroaches on football

27-04-2023 14:31 A breakdown of the main companies and provincial governments collecting the most taxes from betting. Are football matches in Argentina fixed? How has online gambling changed the industry?

by Ramón Indart

FOOTBALL

FIFA confirms Argentina as host of U20 World Cup

17-04-2023 17:29 Confirmation that Argentina will host the tournament in May and June arrives just hours after Economy Minister Sergio Massa says AFA has the government’s “financial backing” to stage youth football showcase.

FOOTBALL

Don't look now, but Argentina is taking over the world

06-04-2023 17:15 Not content to miss out on the upcoming Under-20 World Cup after a less than sterling qualifying display to kick off the year, Claudio ‘Chiqui’ Tapia simply resolved to bring the entire tournament home.

by Dan Edwards