In a sweeping anti-corruption operation, Argentine federal authorities have raided the headquarters of the Argentine Football Association (AFA) and over a dozen football clubs, including top-tier teams such as Racing Club, San Lorenzo, Independiente, and Banfield. The raids, executed on December 9, 2025, are part of an investigation into alleged money laundering and tax evasion involving the financial services firm Sur Finanzas, owned by Ariel Vallejo.
The probe, as reported by Buenos Aires Times, led by Federal Judge Luis Armella and initiated by a complaint from the Customs Revenue and Control Agency (ARCA), focuses on contracts between Sur Finanzas and various clubs, with suspected illicit transactions totaling approximately 818 billion pesos (around $560 million). Authorities also searched the AFA’s training complex in Ezeiza, where the national team prepares.
This development intensifies existing tensions between AFA President Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia and President Javier Milei. Milei has been advocating for reforms to allow private ownership of football clubs, a move opposed by the AFA. The AFA’s rejection of Milei’s 2024 presidential decree permitting teams to become for-profit corporations led to a court freezing the initiative.
The situation escalated when Milei canceled a planned trip to Washington, where he was to appear alongside former U.S. President Donald Trump and attend the World Cup draw. The cancellation was partly attributed to the brewing football controversy at home.
As the investigation unfolds, the future of Argentine football governance hangs in the balance, with potential implications for the national team’s preparations for the upcoming FIFA tournament in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.
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