Argentine authorities are secretly devising a roadmap to manage a corruption scandal involving the leadership of the Argentine Football Association (AFA). The goal is to maintain the status quo and protect the Argentine national team and the international calendar from a crisis.
At the center of this scheme is Karina Milei, the General Secretary of the Presidency and a key political figure for President Javier Milei. However, if this plan fails, the consequences could be catastrophic. The risk lies in the possibility that one of the cornered individuals might choose to cooperate with the authorities to save himself.
According to sources, the operation is simple in design but risky in execution. It involves supporting AFA President Claudio Tapia, isolating Treasurer Pablo Toviggino, containing the scandal, and waiting for time to settle the situation.
FIFA has also become involved in this plot. During a recent meeting in the U.S., President Javier Milei reportedly had a private dialogue with FIFA President Gianni Infantino about a "strategic truce." The objective is to prevent the judicial scandal from becoming a "time bomb" ahead of the 2030 World Cup. Tapia is expected to remain in power at least until June.
The old alliance between Tapia and Toviggino, which once seemed unbreakable, now shows definitive cracks. Tapia is seeking an "institutional" way out, willing to sacrifice others to preserve his position. In contrast, Toviggino is becoming increasingly exposed, perceiving a progressive abandonment by his former iron-clad allies.
In government offices, the strategy is pragmatic and blunt: concentrate the force of the law on Toviggino to "clean" the structure without breaking it, while supporting Tapia with a temporary seat, presented as a guarantee of sporting governance.
This is where the main risk lies. What if the besieged official decides to talk? As the source warns, "it can fail." And if it does, it's not just one piece that falls; the entire board collapses.
