FIFA has imposed a six-month ban on Panama's soccer federation president Manuel Arias for failing to comply with a previous suspension related to fat-shaming a women's national team player. The decision comes just days after Panama qualified for the 2026 World Cup. Arias also faces a 20,000 Swiss francs fine and is barred from the World Cup draw.
Days after Panama secured its spot in the 2026 World Cup, FIFA announced a new ban on the country's soccer federation president, Manuel Arias, for not respecting an earlier suspension. The governing body stated that Arias is "banned from all football-related activity for six months," a period set to end approximately four weeks before the tournament begins in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
The latest sanctions stem from Arias' violation of a prior six-month ban issued by FIFA's ethics committee, which extended into July 2025. That initial punishment followed Arias' public suggestion that Marta Cox, a star on Panama's women's national team—which qualified for the 2023 Women's World Cup—was "fat." This comment came after Cox criticized the team's setup. Arias acknowledged his "unfortunate" remarks in March 2024.
During the first ban, Arias was expected to be excluded from two World Cup qualifying matches in June and the Gold Cup in the United States, which ran into July. FIFA's disciplinary judges provided no specifics on how he breached the ban but also fined him 20,000 Swiss francs, equivalent to about $25,000. Arias is prohibited from attending the World Cup draw on December 5 in Washington, D.C., an event U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to attend.
Arias has the option to appeal the new sanctions. Meanwhile, Panama earned its men's World Cup berth with a 3-0 victory over El Salvador on Tuesday, while previous group leader Suriname fell 3-1 in Guatemala.
