FIFA suspends Panamanian football leader Arias again for an outrageous comment

Days after Panama qualified for the 2026 World Cup, FIFA suspended the president of the country’s football federation for failing to comply with an earlier ban for making fun of a women’s national team star.

According to FIFA, Manuel Arias has been “banned from all football-related activities for six months,” which expires about four weeks before the start of the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Arias was not allowed to attend the World Cup draw on December 5 in Washington DC, where US President Donald Trump will be present.

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FIFA said its disciplinary judges also fined the Panamanian official 20,000 Swiss francs ($25,000) for failing to comply with the ethics committee’s earlier ruling, which handed him a six-month ban until July. No details were given about how he violated the ban.

Arias suggested Marta Cox was “fat” after she made critical comments about the set-up of the national team, which qualified for the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

He acknowledged his “unfortunate” comments in March 2024.

During his first six-month ban, Arias should have been banned from two World Cup qualifiers in June and the Gold Cup in the United States in July.

Arias can appeal the latest FIFA sanctions.

Panama earned its place at the Men’s World Cup on Tuesday by beating El Salvador 3-0 while former group leader Suriname lost 3-1 in Guatemala.

Published on November 21, 2025