Gavi misses Spain’s opener vs England due to FIFA ban

Gavi will not be able to play in Spain’s first match of the Nations League qualifying phase against England. As Mundo Deportivo reports, the cause is the one-match ban FIFA handed the Barcelona player for incidents tied to the World Cup final, a sanction the federation tried to overturn but FIFA upheld after rejecting the appeal.

Squad call, but one absence

This Friday, Luis de la Fuente is expected to name the first Spain squad for the opening qualifying fixtures. The issue for the coach is that, even if the Barcelona midfielder is included in that list, he still won’t be available for the 26 September match in London. The next opportunity would come with Spain’s second game vs Croatia on 29 September, played in Spain, according to Mundo Deportivo.

The paper explains that FIFA announced the sanctions on 21 August. In that package, Gavi received the one-game suspension and was also fined €25,692. Mundo Deportivo adds that FIFA’s Disciplinary Commission had already rejected the RFEF appeal aimed at keeping the ban in suspension for a year.

What the RFEF asked for

Mundo Deportivo says the RFEF then moved to appeal and requested a suspension of the sporting punishment in a one-year probation period. They cited a precedent: a one-match ban FIFA left in suspense for a year involving US player Folarin Balogun after his sending off at the World Cup against Bosnia Herzegovina.

Alongside Gavi’s case, Mundo Deportivo also refers to other incidents FIFA highlighted, including Leandro Paredes, who was sanctioned for ten matches. The headline takeaway is straightforward: Spain’s big Nations League opener vs England comes with Gavi ruled out for that first fixture.