Buenos Aires is pitting America against 13,000 Argentine fathers and keeping them out of the World Cup.

Argentine authorities have submitted to US authorities a list of nearly 13,000 fathers who are behind in child support payments in order to tighten controls and prevent them from attending Argentina’s 2026 World Cup matches on American soil, an unprecedented move aimed at forcing these parents to pay the largest child support arrears. child support defaults affecting thousands of families across the country.

According to an official statement from Buenos Aires and a report by the Foot Mercato website, the measure comes as part of judicial cooperation between Argentina and the United States, as the list will be used to bar parents who are in arrears with child support from entering the American stadium that will host the Tango games, and is aimed at putting financial pressure on the children before they are forced to travel. Cup.

The mayor of Buenos Aires strongly defended the decision, stating that those who neglect the basic duty of spending on their children must suffer the consequences of their actions, saying clearly:

The measure was widely welcomed on social media and by many children’s rights organizations, who saw it as an effective way to hold negligent parents accountable, while emphasizing the importance of fulfilling family responsibilities before exercising leisure rights;