Argentine justice prosecutes and seizes AFA and its president Claudio Tapia for alleged tax fraud

Buenos Aires. — The Argentine Football Association was prosecuted and embargoed by the Argentine Justice in a case of alleged tax fraud that also involves its president, Claudio Tapia, and treasurer Pablo Toviggino.

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The measure was dictated by the judge in economic criminal matters Diego Amarante, who ordered the prosecution of the entity for the crime of misappropriation of taxes and social security resources, in addition to an embargo for 350 million pesos. The investigation began following a complaint filed by the General Tax Directorate, dependent on the Revenue and Customs Control Agency, which claims unpaid contributions of more than 19,000 million pesos corresponding to the last two years.

The AFA’s Position

In the context of the legal proceedings, Tapia submitted a written statement denying any responsibility for the investigated events, asserting that he had no involvement or decision-making power in the aspects outlined in the complaint. For its part, the AFA reported through a statement that the entity presented all the corresponding sworn statements and that the outstanding payments were accepted by the tax authority with late payment interest, but without punitive sanctions.

Other managers involved

The ruling also included the processing and seizure of other organization executives, including General Director Gustavo Lorenzo, Secretary General Cristian Malaspina, and former Secretary Víctor Blanco. In addition, the Justice system maintains the ban on leaving the country for Tapia and Toviggino, a measure ordered last month as part of the same legal case. The judicial decision comes less than three months before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a tournament that will be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, and in which the Argentine national team will participate as one of the main favorites.