FIFA has suspended the president of the Panamanian football federation for a humiliating comment about a star player of the women’s national team.
Manual Arias has suggested midfielder Marta Cox is “fat” after making critical comments about the setup of the national team, which has qualified for the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
“President Arias has been suspended for six months, until July 14, 2025, during which he will not be able to participate in activities related to federated football,” the Panamanian football federation said in a statement on Thursday.
The ban removes Arias from a series of men’s national team matches in the CONCACAF region: Nations League matches in March, two 2026 World Cup qualifiers in June and the Gold Cup tournament in the United States scheduled for June 14 to July 6. of the 2023 Men’s Gold Cup, losing to Mexico.
Arias said on social media on Thursday that his ban was due to “unfortunate” comments in March 2024.
“I used some very unfortunate language that should never be used,” Arias said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The federation said vice president Fernando Arce would serve as interim president until the ban expires, and acknowledged it still had work to do in women’s soccer.
Cox recently signed for Turkish club Fenerbahce after playing in Mexico for Xolos. The 27-year-old scored at the Women’s World Cup in a 6-3 defeat to France in the group stage.
