The FBI is investigating the AFA for alleged fraud and money laundering: some 300 million dollars in sponsorships and operations in the US.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and prosecutors from the United States Department of Justice are carrying out a preliminary investigation into the financial operations of the Argentine Football Association (AFA) in North American territory, as confirmed to Claudio «Chiqui» Tapia channeled hundreds of millions of dollars through the US banking system and whether part of these operations could constitute crimes under federal jurisdiction – money laundering, bank fraud or tax evasion.

The investigation is advancing in the middle of the World Cup 2026, while Argentina plays the quarterfinals on American soil. MARCA and Infobae replicate the report from La Nación: the temporal coincidence puts Tapia under scrutiny, who traveled to the US with judicial authorization after an exit restriction in local cases due to alleged tax and pension mismanagement.

«Investigators from the Department of Justice seek to understand how the entity chaired by Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia operated in the United States, how it channeled hundreds of millions of dollars through its financial system and whether part of these operations could have given rise to crimes under North American jurisdiction.»

TourProdEnter LLC: the vehicle in Florida

At the center of the file appears TourProdEnter LLC, a company incorporated in Florida in August 2021—four months before the AFA executive committee designated it as an international commercial agent—, according to the journalistic investigation by La Nación and Miami New Times. The firm, linked to theater producer Javier Faroni and his wife Erica Gillette, managed the collection of AFA commercial contracts abroad, including agreements with Adidas (~$60 M) and Warner (~$40 M).

According to the contract in force until December 2026, TourProdEnter received 30% of the AFA's international income (after taxes) and a commission of 10% on logistical expenses. Federal prosecutors Patrick Gushue and Christopher Ting (Washington DC) and Michael Berger (Southern District of Florida) are leading the preliminary investigation, which began to take shape in 2025, as revealed by La Nación in May.

Testimonies and witnesses in the spotlight

One of the most relevant steps was the statement of Guillermo Tofoni, a businessman who denounced the financial structure of the AFA in the US. According to La Nación, he participated in a three-hour video conference with prosecutors and FBI agents from Washington and Miami. Tofoni neither confirmed nor denied the meeting when the newspaper consulted him from Miami.

Investigators are also analyzing calling former officials from Javier Milei's government who had access to sensitive information about the AFA or supervised its operations. The file examines the management of Tapia and the treasurer Pablo Toviggino.

Background: from the 2024 alert to the 2026 turnaround

American interest did not arise out of nowhere. In September 2024, the then Ministry of Security of Patricia Bullrich transmitted information about possible risks linked to the AFA to US authorities, after a meeting with Tofoni. At that time, the FBI considered that there were not enough elements to open a criminal investigation.

The scenario changed at early 2026, when the file grew with new banking documentation and complaints promoted by Tofoni, following the revelations by La Nación about a financial network with its epicenter in Florida —including transfers of tens of millions to companies in Miami without declared commercial activity and payments to companies linked to Toviggino (SOMA SRL, Cabello SRL).

Miami New Times places the case in the same legal framework that the DOJ used in the 2015 FIFA investigation: whether international payments go through American banks and companies, Washington can exercise jurisdiction even if the operations originate in Argentina.

AFA response and Argentine judicial context

From the AFA, the "ambassador" for North America Tomás Regalado and the lawyer Mariano Lizardo participated in a forum in Miami on soccer and corruption organized by the Interamerican Institute for Democracy. Regalado demanded respect for the presumption of innocence: "Investigative measures alone do not determine responsibility or guilt."

In Argentina, the AFA and Tapia face parallel cases. On June 26, 2026, a court of appeal confirmed the prosecution of the entity, Tapia and Toviggino for alleged tax fraud, according to EFE via Infobae. In December 2025, the Federal Police raided the AFA headquarters in another investigation for money laundering and evasion linked to Sur Finanzas, according to the Associated Press cited by Miami New Times.

Important: As of this article's publication date, the Department of Justice has not officially confirmed the investigation nor are there formal criminal charges in the US against AFA, Tapia, Toviggino, Faroni or Gillette. The federal investigation remains in the preliminary phase: collection of testimonies, banking documentation and evaluation of whether a formal criminal investigation proceeds.