FIFA Suspends Argentina Goalkeeper for 2 Matches in World Cup Qualifying

Argentina's goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez holds a ball while warming up prior to a qualifying soccer match against Colombia for the FIFA World Cup 2026 at the Metropolitano Roberto Melendez stadium in Barranquilla, Colombia, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Argentina's goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez holds a ball while warming up prior to a qualifying soccer match against Colombia for the FIFA World Cup 2026 at the Metropolitano Roberto Melendez stadium in Barranquilla, Colombia, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
TT

FIFA Suspends Argentina Goalkeeper for 2 Matches in World Cup Qualifying

Argentina's goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez holds a ball while warming up prior to a qualifying soccer match against Colombia for the FIFA World Cup 2026 at the Metropolitano Roberto Melendez stadium in Barranquilla, Colombia, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Argentina's goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez holds a ball while warming up prior to a qualifying soccer match against Colombia for the FIFA World Cup 2026 at the Metropolitano Roberto Melendez stadium in Barranquilla, Colombia, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Argentina's soccer association (AFA) said on Friday that FIFA suspended goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez for two matches of South American World Cup qualifying in October.
The decision rules out the 32-year-old from official games in the round-robin competition against Venezuela and Bolivia on Oct. 10 and 15.
AFA said in a statement that FIFA's disciplinary commission sanctioned Martínez due to incidents in two World Cup qualifying matches against Chile and Colombia earlier this month. The soccer body did not describe which incidents led to the punishment, The Associated Press reported.
Martínez made an obscene gesture after his team's 3-0 win against Chile by holding the Copa America trophy close to his genitals, as he did after the South American team lifted the World Cup title in Qatar in the end of 2022.
Later, he slapped a local cameraman after Argentina's 2-1 defeat against Colombia in Barranquilla.
Argentina's soccer body said it “absolutely disagrees” with FIFA's decision.
Argentina leads South American World Cup qualifying with 18 points after eight games, followed by Colombia (16) and Uruguay (15).



Bundesliga Sees Quickfire Scoring Record as Bayern Puts Dive Past Dismal Leipzig

Bayern Munich's German midfielder #42 Jamal Musiala, Bayern Munich's German forward #10 Leroy Sane and Bayern Munich's Canadian defender #19 Alphonso Davies celebrate a goal during the German first division Bundesliga football match between FC Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig in Munich, southern Germany, on December 20, 2024. (Photo by Alexandra BEIER / AFP)
Bayern Munich's German midfielder #42 Jamal Musiala, Bayern Munich's German forward #10 Leroy Sane and Bayern Munich's Canadian defender #19 Alphonso Davies celebrate a goal during the German first division Bundesliga football match between FC Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig in Munich, southern Germany, on December 20, 2024. (Photo by Alexandra BEIER / AFP)
TT

Bundesliga Sees Quickfire Scoring Record as Bayern Puts Dive Past Dismal Leipzig

Bayern Munich's German midfielder #42 Jamal Musiala, Bayern Munich's German forward #10 Leroy Sane and Bayern Munich's Canadian defender #19 Alphonso Davies celebrate a goal during the German first division Bundesliga football match between FC Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig in Munich, southern Germany, on December 20, 2024. (Photo by Alexandra BEIER / AFP)
Bayern Munich's German midfielder #42 Jamal Musiala, Bayern Munich's German forward #10 Leroy Sane and Bayern Munich's Canadian defender #19 Alphonso Davies celebrate a goal during the German first division Bundesliga football match between FC Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig in Munich, southern Germany, on December 20, 2024. (Photo by Alexandra BEIER / AFP)

Bayern Munich crushed Leipzig 5-1 and they broke a long-standing Bundesliga record for quickfire goals on Friday.
Two teams had never scored in the opening two minutes of a Bundesliga match until Jamal Musiala gave Bayern the lead after 28 seconds and Benjamin Šeško equalized barely 60 seconds later, The Associated Press reported.
The pace slowed after that frenetic start but not for long. Konrad Laimer put Bayern ahead against his old club in the 25th. Michael Olise found space on the right side and Laimer gave Péter Gulácsi no chance with a crisp volley.
Nine minutes later, Joshua Kimmich lashed home from almost 30 meters to make it 3-1.
Leroy Sané added the fourth with 15 minutes remaining and Alphonso Davies got his first league goal of the season to complete the rout three minutes later.
Harry Kane returned and looked rusty after missing two games with a hamstring injury but played 87 minutes of a match that helped Bayern get back on track after a rocky run.
After winning eight games in a row from late October to late November, the Bavarian giant lost two and drew one of its next five, including a 2-1 defeat to Mainz last week, its first loss in the Bundesliga.
Friday’s result bumped its lead over titleholder Bayer Leverkusen to seven points. Leverkusen plays Freiburg on Saturday.