Scandal in the AFA: The FBI tracks USD 260 million and targets “Chiqui” Tapia
The Argentina team and the president of the AFA, Claudio Tapia, are supposedly investigated by the FBI for money management in the United States
The United States authorities, through the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), are investigating the financial management of the Argentine Football Association (AFA) and its president, Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia, within the North American banking system.
The revelation was made known by the Argentine newspaper La Nación, which highlighted that, while the Argentine national team successfully competes in the World Cup, both federal prosecutors and FBI agents—instructed by the Department of Justice—are trying to gather all the necessary information to demonstrate whether the financial operations of the Argentine soccer entity and its owner were carried out under US legal regulations.
The Argentine newspaper assured that the problem is not simple. The investigation attempts to clarify the management of hundreds of millions of dollars moved within North American financial institutions, which are related to the different international businesses and contracts carried out by the AFA.
So far, the case remains under presumption of crime. However, although the United States Department of Justice maintains an official position of caution, the authorities are already making firm progress in collecting documentation, reviewing financial movements and taking statements from key people who could provide relevant information.
The investigators' intention is to demonstrate whether the AFA's operations have been irregular. This objective comes from years ago, after in 2024 the Argentine Ministry of Security alerted US agencies about the management of this organization.
The Argentine newspaper revealed that the main focus of interest for the authorities is the company TourProdEnter LLC, linked to the theater producer Javier Faroni, which acted as collection agent for the AFA's international commercial contracts.
According to the report, TourProdEnter LLC managed around $260 million corresponding to the federation's international income. The analysis of bank records indicates that, while a part of these resources was allocated to identifiable operating expenses, another 57 million dollars were distributed among different companies and beneficiaries without an apparent economic justification, according to the documentation cited by the Argentine media.
For the Department of Justice, the AFA has not clearly managed the resources obtained from its commercial transactions in the US, especially considering that the Argentine team is a commercial magnet for sports brands, a context in which the confusion that triggered the case was generated.