The Court validated the change of address of the AFA and annulled the appointment of supervisors that had been arranged by the Government

The Argentine Football Association (AFA), one of the most influential sports entities in the country, has seen its recent administrative decisions validated by a national civil court. The ruling confirmed the association's relocation of its headquarters from the city of Buenos Aires to the province of Buenos Aires, specifically to the town of Pilar. This decision was made during an assembly of representatives in 2024, despite the fact that the site currently consists of only a plot of land. Additionally, the court nullified a resolution issued by the Ministry of Justice that had appointed overseers to monitor the operations of the AFA, which is currently led by Claudio "Chiqui" Tapia. Tapia is currently in the United States attending the World Cup, having received judicial authorization to do so.

According to the court’s decision, the National Civil Chamber approved the change of domicile and declared invalid the resolution numbered 140/26 issued on February 18, 2026, by the Inspector General of Justice. This resolution had previously registered the AFA under the jurisdiction of the Inspection General of Justice. Furthermore, the court also invalidated Resolution 2026-128-APN-MJ, issued on March 16, 2026, by the Minister of Justice of the Nation, Juan Bautista Mahiques. This latter resolution had mandated the appointment of overseers for a period of 180 working days following a report from the Inspection General of Justice that identified institutional and registration irregularities within the organization.

The judges emphasized that the Provincial Directorate of Legal Persons had authorized the change of jurisdiction through resolution 9000/2024. They pointed out that the Inspection General of Justice does not have the authority to conduct inspections or question changes of headquarters approved by this provincial entity. Once the provincial body accepted the AFA's relocation to the territory of Buenos Aires, the oversight and legality checks of the entity were placed under the jurisdiction of the Province of Buenos Aires. In this context, the judges stated that the Inspection General of Justice lacked the authority to challenge the new headquarters or perform inspections aimed at verifying the declared location.

In their written judgment, the judges noted that accepting the position of the Inspection General of Justice would mean subjecting the same entity to simultaneous oversight by two distinct state bodies, a situation they deemed incompatible with the federal system and basic principles of administrative law. They argued that imposing a dual legal review on the decision to modify the society's statute by relocating its headquarters to another jurisdiction, as sought by the Inspection General of Justice, was not feasible.

Regarding the resolution signed by the Ministry of Justice in March 2026, which had established an informational intervention in the form of oversight over the AFA, the court concluded that this measure was also invalid because it relied on the prior resolution of the Inspection General of Justice, whose nullity was already declared in the same ruling.

The government had implemented an "oversight in the form of monitoring" for 180 days starting on March 17, aimed at investigating the financial accounts of the sports entity, its transfers, and the role of a university that failed to materialize. This measure was based on a request submitted by the Inspection General of Justice. According to the ministerial resolution, these irregularities prompted the initiation of legal proceedings against the organization.

This case highlights the ongoing tensions between federal and provincial jurisdictions regarding the regulation of private organizations such as the AFA. It underscores the complexities of ensuring compliance with legal standards while respecting the autonomy of such institutions. The outcome of this judicial decision could influence future regulatory approaches towards similar organizations operating across multiple jurisdictions.