FIFA confirm Nicolas Otamendi handed a one-match ban | OneFootball

It's official. FIFA has confirmed that Nicolas Otamendi has received a one-match suspension and will miss the first match of the 2026 World Cup, as a result of his dismissal against Ecuador in the last round of the qualifiers.

This confirms the news previously reported by Doble Amarilla, that the vice-captain of the Argentinian National Team will miss the World Cup opener, but will be able to play the Finalissima against Spain in 2026.

On Ecuadorian soil, the “Scaloneta” lost by the minimum against the “Tri” on a tough night where Otamendi was shown a straight red for stopping a local attack on the feet of Enner Valencia.

It's worth noting that the Benfica defender avoided a much longer suspension, as rumors suggested he could receive more than one match, although this version has been dismissed.

Otamendi, between catharsis and pride: the defender's letter after his last qualifier match

A mix of feelings is what Nicolás Otamendi experienced in Guayaquil on the past 9th of September, when he played his last qualifier match with the Argentinian National Team, a match that he didn't finish due to being sent off, but that left a relief for the experienced defender.

The former Vélez used his social networks to “say goodbye” and make a “catharsis” for his red card, “the first with this jersey, it was not the afternoon”, wrote ‘Ota’ continuing: “I stick with the qualifiers that were made based on work, dedication, and joy above all else”.

In addition to announcing that it was his last “chapter of qualifiers”, who jumped with the captain's armband this Tuesday in Ecuador, reflected: “For things to go well, one has to come to enjoy and know how to represent this jersey. Proud of this group today, tomorrow and always”.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.