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Argentine soccer body in turmoil ahead of World Cup over mystery villa and dirty money claims
In March 2024, retired Argentine soccer star Carlos Tevez published a tweet, opens new tab hinting at something suspicious going on in a Buenos Aires suburb. The treasurer of the Argentine Football Association, Tevez claimed, was making many trips to Pilar, where he implied the soccer official had buried bags of money and kept a collection of antique cars.
Coalicion Civica, a progressive political party, began investigating after Tevez’s post and filed a criminal complaint centered on a mystery villa in Pilar.
As the World Cup approaches, allegations that the villa may have been used for money-laundering have become one of a series of scandals gripping the soccer association that is in charge of the game in Argentina, the current world champions.
In early December, police raided the AFA headquarters and more than a dozen soccer clubs as part of a money-laundering probe that looked at transfers of money tied to clubs and a financial services company.
Three days later, authorities raided the Pilar villa, finding a heliport, stables and 54 vehicles, including luxury cars and collectible cars. In its criminal complaint, Coalicion Civica alleges the property is a front for a money-laundering scheme connected to Chiqui Tapia, the president of the AFA, and its treasurer, Pablo Toviggino.
Last week, in another case, a prosecutor charged Tapia, Toviggino and other AFA leaders for unlawful retention of taxes totaling $13 million following a complaint from Argentina’s tax agency, according to news outlet La Nacion.
The AFA did not respond to an inquiry from Reuters requesting an interview with both Tapia and Toviggino and for comment on the various judicial investigations that have been opened.
In a public statement, the association has said it is being attacked by the government of President Javier Milei, referring to how Milei has pushed for Argentina’s soccer clubs, which have long functioned as nonprofit entities run by their members, to become for-profit companies under private owners.
“We are on the right path,” the AFA said, listing competitions Argentina has won since Tapia became president in 2017, including the World Cup itself in 2022.
A representative for Tevez did not respond to an interview request. Toviggino did not respond to a request for comment.
CRISIS DESPITE SUCCESS
Despite plaudits for Argentina’s performance on the field, the AFA is going through its biggest crisis in years.
“There are two AFAs,” said Nestor Centra, an Argentine sports journalist, referring to its international success and the instability at home.
Several months after Tevez’s tweet, Matias Yofe, president of Coalicion Civica’s branch in Pilar, told Reuters that he and his colleagues talked to about 10 employees who had worked at the Pilar property and presumed that Toviggino or Tapia were the owners.
One person, Yofe said, described Tapia once arriving by helicopter and then gifting employees soccer jerseys.
“What they described was they moved as owners of the place, they got in the pool, used the facilities,” Yofe said. “Everyone indicated that this belongs to people of the AFA.”
Coalicion Civica’s complaint alleged that the property had been purchased in 2024 by a company owned by Ana Lucia Conte and Luciano Nicolas Pantano, a mother and son that it claimed could not afford the purchase. An attorney who has represented Pantano did not respond to a request for comment.
Records viewed by Reuters indicate that the property, several city blocks long, was bought for $1.8 million, although experts suspect it’s worth much more. The complaint points to Pantano’s connections with the soccer world, such as serving as the head of the Argentine Civil Association of Futsal and Beach Soccer.
According to court documents, officials during the raid found a black imitation leather bag branded with the AFA logo and Toviggino’s name, several books on soccer and a plaque honoring Toviggino. The 54 vehicles included a Ferrari and several Porsches, registered under the company the complaint attributed to Pantano and Conte.
An official with knowledge of the case said that Toviggino’s relatives had authorization to drive at least several of the cars, confirming a report by local television station TN. Authorities have requested information on the pilots who used the heliport in the hopes of learning about the passengers.
The justice ministry has demanded that the AFA and the Superliga, an association that handles transmission rights of matches, give explanations for accounting entries of nearly half a billion dollars going back to 2017. Daniel Vitolo, the head of the ministry’s Inspector General’s office, told Reuters that those amounts fall into categories on balance reports with generic names such as “others.” The Superliga declined a request from Reuters for comment.
“If the AFA really has its papers in order, why doesn’t it explain something that’s very easy to explain?” he said.
‘THESE THINGS HAPPEN’
Experts said it’s unlikely that the judicial cases will affect Argentina’s participation in the World Cup.
“No one can pay the political cost of doing that,” said Alan Wilder, a sports law attorney in Buenos Aires. “No one would approve of the mere idea of taking (Lionel) Messi out of the World Cup, with this possibly being his last World Cup. He’s the sacred cow.”
Soccer worldwide is no stranger to financial scandals, and in recent years top FIFA officials have been charged with corruption. Tapia’s predecessor resigned amid an investigation into irregularities involving management of match broadcasting funds. Those charged in the case were absolved this month.
Prior to the current scandals, AFA had already faced criticism by fans for favoritism. Many were angered when the AFA recently awarded Rosario Central, home team of national star player Angel Di Maria, a new and controversial trophy.
“I think the lid has been blown off the pot,” said Enzo Gutierrez, 30, a Buenos Aires resident who roots for the team San Martin from his native province of San Juan. “It has grabbed my attention a lot but if you’re a soccer fan you live knowing that these things happen in Argentine soccer.”
-Reuters
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BY KUNLE SOLAJA, NEW YORK
Africa emerged as the most successful confederation in the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with an unprecedented 90 percent of its representatives advancing to the Round of 32.
Nine of the 10 African teams that started the tournament secured places in the knockout phase, giving the Confederation of African Football (CAF) the highest qualification rate among all six continental confederations.
The African nations progressing to the Round of 32 are South Africa, Morocco, Côte d’Ivoire, Cape Verde, Senegal, Egypt, Ghana, DR Congo and Algeria.
Only one African team failed to survive the group stage, underscoring the continent’s growing competitiveness on football’s biggest stage.
CAF’s 90 per cent success rate placed it ahead of South America’s CONMEBOL, which saw 83.33 per cent of its teams advance, and Europe’s UEFA, whose members recorded an 81.25 per cent qualification rate.
The figures represent a significant shift in the global football landscape, where European and South American nations have traditionally dominated World Cup competitions.
The expanded 48-team format appears to have provided African countries with greater opportunities to showcase their progress, and they responded with a series of impressive performances throughout the group stage.
Cape Verde emerged as one of the tournament’s surprise packages by reaching the knockout rounds for the first time, while South Africa, DR Congo and Algeria also celebrated historic advances.
Senegal made history by becoming the first African nation to score five goals in a World Cup match, while Morocco continued the momentum generated by their remarkable semi-final run at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
In contrast, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) endured a difficult campaign, with only 22.22 per cent of its teams progressing. The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) recorded a 50 per cent qualification rate despite having the advantage of three host nations.
Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) failed to place any team in the Round of 32.
World Cup Round of 32 Qualification Rates by Confederation
- CAF (Africa): 90%
- CONMEBOL (South America): 83.33%
- UEFA (Europe): 81.25%
- CONCACAF (North and Central America/Caribbean): 50%
- AFC (Asia): 22.22%
- OFC (Oceania): 0%
The statistics show Africa’s growing influence in world football and raise hopes that the continent could produce its strongest collective performance ever in the knockout stages of a FIFA World Cup.
With nine teams still in contention, Africa enters the Round of 32 with more representatives than any other confederation and a genuine opportunity to challenge for the latter stages of the tournament.
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BY KUNLE SOLAJA, NEW YORK.
Ecuador will look to continue their strong record against Concacaf opposition when they face Curaçao in a Group E encounter at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The South Americans enter the match having won their last two World Cup meetings with teams from the Concacaf region and will be eager to maintain that trend as they chase a place in the knockout rounds.
For Curaçao, however, the fixture represents an opportunity to create history.
The Caribbean nation is one of the tournament’s debutants and is still searching for its first World Cup victory. After suffering a heavy defeat to Germany in their opening match, Curaçao will be desperate to demonstrate the resilience and determination that earned them a place at the expanded 48-team tournament.
A victory would make them the first of the World Cup 2026 newcomers to register a win and would provide a significant boost to their qualification hopes.
Ecuador are expected to rely on their experience at this level, but they know underestimating Curaçao could prove costly. The underdogs have already shown flashes of attacking quality despite their difficult introduction against Germany.
As the group stage begins to take shape, both teams understand the importance of securing points. Ecuador are chasing progression, while Curaçao are chasing history.
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BY KUNLE SOLAJA, NEW YORK.
As Morocco edge closer to the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup 2026, captain Achraf Hakimi finds himself at the centre of two parallel narratives; one being football excellence and the other by legal proceedings that continue to cast a shadow over his career.
On the pitch, the 27-year-old has never appeared more influential.
Morocco’s 1-0 victory over Scotland not only moved the Atlas Lions within touching distance of the Round of 32, it also elevated Hakimi into the record books as the African player with the most FIFA World Cup appearances.
The Paris Saint-Germain defender made his 12th World Cup appearance, surpassing the previous mark jointly held by Cameroonian legend François Omam-Biyik and Ghana’s all-time leading scorer Asamoah Gyan.
It is a remarkable achievement for a player who made his World Cup debut as a teenager in Russia in 2018 and has since become one of the most recognisable faces of African football.
For Hakimi, the record is another milestone in a career already decorated with major club honours and individual accolades, including the African Footballer of the Year award. It also reinforces his status as one of the driving forces behind Morocco’s rise as a global football power.
His influence was most vividly illustrated at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where Morocco became the first African and Arab nation to reach the semi-finals of the tournament. Hakimi’s composure, leadership and attacking flair helped transform the Atlas Lions into one of the competition’s most compelling stories.
Four years later, he remains the heartbeat of a Moroccan side determined to prove that their success in Qatar was no one-off achievement.
The signs have been encouraging. Morocco opened their campaign with an impressive 1-1 draw against five-time champions Brazil before defeating Scotland to move within a point of qualification. A draw against Haiti in their final group match would be enough to secure passage to the knockout rounds.
Yet while Hakimi’s football achievements continue to accumulate, events away from the game have ensured that public attention remains divided.
The defender is facing the prospect of a criminal trial in France following allegations of rape first reported in 2023. Hakimi has consistently denied wrongdoing and has sought to challenge the legal process through the courts.
French media reported this week that an appeals court rejected a challenge to his referral to criminal court, clearing the way for a future trial.
Responding publicly, Hakimi reiterated his innocence and welcomed the opportunity to present his version of events.
“Today, a story that isn’t mine is being told at the expense of my family, my life, and above all, the truth,” he wrote on social media platform X.
“I’ve been waiting for this trial since day one. And now I’m looking forward to it. Finally, I’ll be able to speak out.”
The legal proceedings remain ongoing, and no trial date has been announced.
For now, Morocco’s captain appears determined to keep his focus on football.
That ability to compartmentalise challenges has become a defining characteristic of elite athletes, particularly those operating under intense global scrutiny. With millions watching every move, Hakimi has continued to perform at the highest level for both club and country.
His record-breaking appearance against Scotland demonstrated once again why he remains indispensable to Morocco’s ambitions. Whether surging down the flank, organising teammates or inspiring supporters, Hakimi has become the symbol of a generation that has redefined expectations for African football.
As the World Cup enters its decisive phase, Morocco’s hopes of another deep run rest heavily on the shoulders of their captain.
The legal questions surrounding Hakimi will ultimately be settled in court. On the field, however, his contribution to Moroccan football is already firmly established.
And as the Atlas Lions pursue another place in World Cup history, their captain continues to add chapters to a legacy that has made him one of Africa’s most accomplished footballers.
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