The United States Department of Justice and the FBI have opened a preliminary investigation into the Argentine Football Association (AFA) and its president, Claudio Tapia, over alleged financial irregularities linked to the organisation’s international commercial operations.
According to reports from La Nacion and Terra, federal prosecutors and FBI investigators have begun collecting testimony as they examine the AFA’s financial activities in the United States.
The inquiry focuses on the association’s commercial agreements abroad and the role of TourProdEnter LLC, the company responsible for managing the collection of revenue from the AFA’s international contracts. Investigators are assessing whether the financial arrangements could amount to money laundering or bank fraud under US law.
Authorities are tracing the movement of more than $300 million through several American banking institutions as part of the investigation.
The legal probe gathered pace while Argentina defeated Egypt 3-2 to reach the World Cup quarter-finals. Investigators recently conducted a three-hour video interview with businessman Guillermo Tofoni in Miami and are continuing to identify witnesses with first-hand knowledge of events during the leadership of Claudio Tapia and Pablo Toviggino.
The investigation also includes a review of transactions processed through accounts at Citibank, Bank of America and JPMorgan. Prosecutors are examining whether those financial operations, carried out while Argentina maintained strict currency controls, breached any US federal laws.
As scrutiny intensifies, the AFA has begun coordinating its response in the United States. Tomás Regalado, who serves as the association’s ambassador in North America, recently attended a football and corruption forum in Miami alongside Argentine criminal lawyer Mariano Lizardo.
Commenting on the preliminary investigation, Regalado stressed that the inquiry should not be interpreted as proof of wrongdoing.
“Investigative measures alone do not determine responsibility or guilt,” he said, urging respect for the presumption of innocence.
No criminal charges have been filed, and US authorities are still evaluating whether there is sufficient evidence to pursue a formal case.
The Department of Justice will now decide whether the investigation should proceed to criminal prosecution. As part of the inquiry, investigators could also question former government officials who oversaw aspects of the AFA’s activities.
Meanwhile, Tapia remains in the United States with the Argentina squad as the reigning world champions prepare for their World Cup quarter-final against Switzerland while facing growing legal scrutiny away from the pitch.
