The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has launched a preliminary probe into the Argentine Football Association (AFA) over alleged money laundering involving hundreds of millions of dollars routed through US financial institutions. According to reports from La Nación and Fox Sports, the investigation centres on financial transactions linked to TourProdEnter LLC, a Florida-based company incorporated in August 2021 that allegedly acted as the collection agent for the AFA's international commercial contracts. The alleged transactions were carried out through accounts held at multiple US banks including Citibank, Synovus, Bank of America, JP Morgan and PNC Bank. During the recent World Cup match against Cape Verde, FBI agents and Justice Department prosecutors reportedly questioned Argentine sports businessman Guillermo Tofoni about the AFA's financial operations and relationship with TourProdEnter LLC. As per La Nación's latest documentation, investigators are examining whether the financial flows corresponded to legitimate business activities or whether some transactions lacked a clear economic purpose. The probe is reportedly looking into how the AFA handled hundreds of millions of dollars through its financial system and whether any criminal activity was involved.
Investigators are examining whether the financial flows corresponded to legitimate business activities or whether some transactions lacked a clear economic purpose. According to La Nación's analysis, TourProdEnter LLC managed at least US$260 million in revenue from the AFA, though only a portion of these funds can be directly linked to identifiable operating expenses of the organisation. Additionally, US$57 million was distributed among various companies and beneficiaries whose economic justification remains unclear based on the reviewed documentation. The FBI is reportedly seeking evidence about AFA's operations under President Claudio Tapia's leadership and its relationship with TourProdEnter LLC, a South Florida company that handled the association's overseas commercial agreements. The investigation has revealed substantial transfers to companies and individuals whose roles remain unclear, with wire transfers of tens of millions of dollars made to companies that do not provide any identifiable services and were controlled by individuals who received social welfare benefits and resided in Bariloche or Buenos Aires. The reported investigation centers on transactions exceeding $300 million that allegedly moved through the U.S. financial system, including sponsorship payments from companies such as Adidas and Warner Bros. Discovery.
The preliminary inquiry began taking shape in 2025 and is being led by federal prosecutors Patrick Gushue and Christopher Ting in Washington, D.C., alongside Michael Berger in the Southern District of Florida. According to La Nación, investigators from the US Department of Justice have begun taking testimony from individuals with knowledge of the AFA's financial activities in the United States as the 2026 FIFA World Cup continues. One of the reported witnesses is businessman Guillermo Tofoni, who allegedly participated in a three-hour virtual interview last week with federal prosecutors and FBI agents based in Washington, D.C., and Miami. When contacted by La Nación, Tofoni declined to confirm or deny the private meeting held in Miami. US authorities are also considering interviewing former officials in the Argentine government who may have had oversight or knowledge of the AFA's operations, as reported by La Nación. Notably, former officials from Javier Milei's government who had access to sensitive information about the AFA or intervened, controlled, or supervised its operations during the last few years are being considered as possible witnesses, according to the FBI's investigation. Argentine television reports from Ciudadano News this week identified theater producer Javier Faroni and his wife Erica Gillette as central figures in the investigation because of their connection to TourProdEnter LLC, with investigators reportedly summoning Faroni and Gillette to testify on January 19 as they examine hundreds of millions of dollars that allegedly moved through TourProdEnter's U.S. bank accounts.
The investigation has revealed substantial transfers to companies and individuals whose roles remain unclear. According to La Nación's analysis, wire transfers of tens of millions of dollars were made to companies that do not provide any identifiable services and were controlled by individuals who received social welfare benefits and resided in Bariloche or Buenos Aires. The scandal has expanded into an international investigation, placing Miami at the center of a complex web of shell companies, offshore transfers and opaque financial flows that might have deceived US banks about the potentially illicit nature of the funds. Investigators have traced roughly $90 million in potentially irregular uses of funds to date, including $42 million routed through Florida shell companies and at least $16.5 million in luxury spending. The allegations have not been proven in court, and the AFA had not publicly responded to the claims at the time of publication.
The investigation has uncovered specific allegations of questionable spending by the AFA. According to La Nación, the AFA paid $340,000 to the family of a spiritual guide who traveled with the national team to major tournaments, including the Copa América in 2024 and this year's World Cup. The payments consisted of 17 transfers of $20,000 each to the son of José Almaraz, a former player described as a spiritual guide close to AFA leadership. Additional questionable transfers include $468,000 sent to a company linked to AFA Treasurer Pablo Toviggino, $40,000 paid to his business partner, and $2.3 million routed to a U.S.-registered company tied to an individual with no clear financial profile. The report also alleged that payments were made to companies linked to Toviggino and members of his family, with La Nación stating that US investigators are seeking witnesses with direct knowledge of what occurred during Tapia and Pablo Toviggino's tenure at the helm of the AFA and TourProdEnter LLC.
The reported FBI investigation adds to scrutiny surrounding the financial governance of the AFA, although it remains unclear whether any charges will be filed as the reported probe continues. The case has drawn the attention of US authorities because the transactions involved American banks and Florida-registered entities, with investigators examining whether any laws were violated, including those related to money laundering or financial disclosure. In the United States, no formal charges have been filed in connection with the AFA probe, and the FBI's Miami field office declined to comment about the probe or its existence. The reported U.S. investigation comes after months of mounting legal problems for the AFA in Argentina, with Argentine federal police raiding AFA headquarters and numerous soccer clubs in December as part of an investigation into alleged money laundering and tax evasion involving financial services firm Sur Finanzas. Because many international sponsorship and media-rights payments allegedly moved through a U.S.-registered company and the American banking system, federal prosecutors may have jurisdiction over transactions that occurred outside Argentina if they involved U.S. financial institutions, following the same legal framework used in previous international soccer corruption investigations. Meanwhile, President Tapia remains in the United States as Argentina continues its 2026 FIFA World Cup run, with Argentine courts having given him permission to travel despite facing charges at home over alleged mismanagement of tax and Social Security funds totaling more than 19 billion Argentine pesos ($12.7 million).
