Despite currently being embroiled in one of the most serious corruption cases in the history of Argentine football for alleged misappropriation of taxes and social security contributions, the Justice system authorized on Monday Claudio "Chiqui" Tapia to travel abroad for the 2026 World Cup and other sporting activities, although under strict conditions.
The controversial decision was made by the Economic Criminal Judge Diego Amarante, who allowed the unpresentable president of the Argentine Football Association (AFA) to leave the country between May 27 and July 21 heading to Hungary, the United States, Mexico, and Canada. As a requirement, the official must maintain a real guarantee of 30 million pesos to ensure his compliance with the judicial process.
The corrupt Tapia had requested authorization to fulfill various institutional commitments related to his role as the highest authority of Argentine football and a member of the CONMEBOL Board of Directors. The itinerary includes attendance at the Champions League final between Paris-Saint Germain and Arsenal in Budapest (on May 29 for the pre-ceremony and May 30 for the match), the friendlies of the Argentine National Team against Honduras and Iceland in the United States (on June 6 and 9 respectively), and subsequently the protocol activities related to the World Cup (from June 10 to July 19).
In the resolution, the magistrate stated that "there are no objective elements that prevent leaving the national territory" under the conditions proposed by the defense and emphasized that Tapia had already complied "in a timely manner" with previously granted travel permits.
