Argentina Football Federation under FBI Investigation During 2026 World Cup

In the context of the ongoing 2026 World Cup, FBI agents and federal prosecutors have launched an investigation related to business transactions between the AFA and the company TourProdEnter LLC.

According to two sources with direct knowledge of the matter, as reported by La Nación, federal prosecutors and FBI agents have begun taking testimonies regarding the financial activities carried out by the AFA in the United States.

Also according to these sources, investigators from the U.S. Department of Justice are seeking to clarify how the organization led by President Claudio Tapia managed its financial system, how the AFA moved over $300 million through the U.S. financial system, and whether any of those transactions constitute criminal offenses under U.S. law.

FBI agents organized an online meeting via the Zoom platform with businessman Guillermo Tofoni, aiming to analyze whether certain transactions involving the AFA could constitute crimes such as money laundering or fraud through the U.S. banking system.

The investigation began taking shape in 2025, under the supervision of three federal prosecutors: Patrick Gushue, Christopher Ting (both based in Washington D.C.), and Michael Berger (from the Southern District of Florida).

Patrick Gushue is a member of the Bank Integrity Unit within the U.S. Department of Justice and has participated in numerous investigations into financial crimes.

Meanwhile, Michael Berger is a prosecutor who handled the case that led to the conviction of former Ecuadorian Comptroller General Carlos Ramón Polit Faggioni on money laundering charges in Miami.

According to reports, the investigators' focus on TourProdEnter LLC began when this company became the collection agent for payments under contracts that the AFA signed with sponsors and other businesses.

TourProdEnter LLC is believed to have acted as an intermediary for collecting payments on the AFA's international contracts, handling cash flows worth hundreds of millions of dollars from multinational corporations such as Adidas (approximately $60 million) and Warner (approximately $40 million).