Roberto Ayala
Argentina assistant coach and former international defender, under FIFA review after the 2026 final.
Roberto Ayala has been Argentina's assistant coach under Lionel Scaloni since 2019; FIFA's Prosecutor, appointed 20 July, is reviewing footage appearing to show him striking Spain's Dani Olmo after the final, with no finding made.
Last refreshed: 23 July 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Timeline for Roberto Ayala
FIFA opens prosecutor file on brawl
2026 FIFA World CupBackground
Roberto Ayala is assistant coach to Lionel Scaloni's Argentina, a role he has held since 2019 across the 2022 and 2026 World Cups. As a player he appeared for Argentina at three tournaments: 1998, when he played every match; 2002, when injury kept him an unused squad member; and 2006, when he started and was named to the tournament's All Star Team.
That record, three tournaments as a player and coaching staff at two more, makes Ayala one of the more experienced figures on Scaloni's staff, with a career that has run through Argentina's national team set-up for close to three decades.
He is one of three Argentina figures FIFA's Disciplinary and Ethics Prosecutor is examining over Conduct after the 2026 final: the file, opened the day after the match, covers video appearing to show Ayala striking Spain's Dani Olmo . No charge has been laid and no finding made against him.
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