Argentina’s Football Association has officially begun efforts to have Nicolás Otamendi available for the team’s opening match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The AFA confirmed on Wednesday that it submitted a formal request to FIFA’s Bureau seeking amnesty for the veteran defender, who is currently suspended for one match following his red card against Ecuador in Argentina’s final 2025 World Cup qualifying match.
Otamendi was sent off during Argentina’s away match against Ecuador in September 2025 and, under FIFA regulations, is expected to serve the suspension during Argentina’s World Cup opener against Algeria on June 16 in Kansas.
However, with a month remaining before the start of the tournament, the AFA is attempting to overturn the suspension in hopes of having the experienced center back available for Lionel Scaloni’s squad.
“The Argentine Football Association, through its president Claudio Tapia, carried out negotiations before FIFA’s Bureau so that Nicolás Otamendi may be eligible for the first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, due to the expulsion against Ecuador in the last CONMEBOL South American Qualifiers match,” the AFA said in an official statement.
At 38 years old, Otamendi is preparing for what would be his fourth FIFA World Cup appearance with Argentina. The Benfica defender remains an important figure in Lionel Scaloni’s squad and was part of Argentina’s 2022 World Cup-winning team as well as the back-to-back Copa América titles.
