The president of the Argentina Football Association is Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia. He has led the AFA since 2017, and the association confirmed him for a term running through 2028.
That title can be confused with the roles of Argentina’s president, the national team coach, or its players. They are separate jobs. Here’s what Tapia does, how the AFA is organized, and what his leadership means for Argentina’s clubs and national teams.
who is the president of argentina football association?
Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia is the president of the Argentine Football Association, commonly known by its Spanish initials, AFA. He took office in March 2017. At an AFA assembly in October 2024, member clubs confirmed him for another term, scheduled to run through 2028.
Tapia is the association’s senior elected leader, not the head coach of Argentina’s national team and not the president of the country. His work concerns the organization and administration of football in Argentina. That includes representing the association, overseeing its governance, and working with clubs, leagues, players, and football authorities.
The AFA is the national governing body for association football in Argentina. It is responsible for the national teams and has a central role in organizing and regulating the country’s football system. Tapia’s position therefore reaches well beyond the men’s national team, even though that team often draws the most attention.
What does the AFA president do?
The president provides leadership for the association, but the job is not simply choosing a coach or selecting players. AFA decisions involve formal bodies, staff, committees, and member clubs. The president operates within that structure and represents the organization in major football matters.
In practice, the role includes setting priorities, chairing or representing the association in official settings, and working with its governing bodies on policy and administration. The AFA also deals with domestic competitions, international football organizations, and issues that affect clubs and the national teams.
The president is not personally responsible for every match decision. Referees make calls on the field, coaches determine tactics and team selections, and competition rules are applied through the relevant organizers and officials. The president may influence the wider system, but that does not mean the role involves directing each game.
Responsibilities across the sport
The AFA oversees the national teams and participates in organizing the football calendar and competitions under its authority. Its work also involves licensing and administrative rules, disciplinary processes, refereeing structures, and coordination with affiliated clubs and leagues. The details are handled through different departments and bodies rather than by one individual alone.
Argentina’s football system includes professional and amateur clubs, men’s and women’s competitions, youth football, futsal, and beach soccer. The AFA’s relationship to each competition can vary. For example, a league or committee may manage day-to-day competition operations while remaining part of, or accountable within, the broader AFA structure.
Internationally, the AFA represents Argentine football in bodies such as FIFA and the South American confederation CONMEBOL. Its president can be a visible representative in those settings, but official decisions are made according to the relevant organization’s rules and governance.
Tapia’s term and how the leadership is chosen
Tapia became AFA president in 2017 after the association’s earlier leadership crisis and a period of organizational change. He was elected again in 2020. In October 2024, an assembly of AFA member clubs confirmed him for a further term through 2028.
The assembly matters because the AFA is an association with member organizations, not a public office filled by a nationwide popular vote. Clubs and other eligible members take part in its internal governance according to the association’s statutes. The president’s authority comes through that football governance system.
As with other sports bodies, elections and term dates can be affected by statutes, assembly decisions, and disputes over procedure. A confirmed term gives a clear answer about the current leadership, but it does not mean the president has unlimited authority or can ignore the association’s rules.
Why reports about an election can sound confusing
News reports may describe an election as an assembly, a re-election, a confirmation, or a decision about the length of a term. Those words can refer to different steps in the same governance process. They may also reflect disagreement about when an election should take place or which rules apply.
For the practical question of who leads the AFA, the important point is that Tapia was confirmed in October 2024 and his term was set to run through 2028. If a later report raises a legal or administrative challenge, check its date and whether it changed the leadership status. A proposal or complaint is not automatically the same as a change in office.
President, coach, and national team captain: the difference
Several high-profile figures are connected with Argentina football, but they have distinct jobs. The AFA president leads the governing association. The national team coach manages the squad and its football approach. The team captain leads players on the field and represents them in match situations.
| Role | Who holds it | Main responsibility | Best way to tell them apart |
|---|---|---|---|
| AFA president | Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia | Leads and represents Argentina’s football association | Association governance and administration |
| Men’s national team coach | Lionel Scaloni | Coaches and prepares the national team | Training, tactics, and squad decisions |
| National team captain | Lionel Messi has held the role | Leads and represents the players on the field | Team leadership during football activities |
| President of Argentina | A national political officeholder | Heads the country’s executive branch | Government, not football administration |
The coach and captain can change without changing the AFA president. Likewise, a presidential election in Argentina does not decide who leads the football association. Keeping these roles separate makes reports about the sport much easier to follow.
One common misconception is that the AFA president picks every player for the national team. Coaches choose squads and set football plans. The association provides the governing structure and administrative support, while the coach is responsible for sporting decisions within the team.
What the AFA manages in Argentine football
The AFA’s reach includes international representation and important parts of domestic football. It works with affiliated clubs and competition organizers and sets or applies rules within its jurisdiction. The specific organization of a league can change over time, so it helps to distinguish the AFA itself from a competition’s operating body.
The top division is associated with the Liga Profesional de Fútbol, which operates within the wider framework of Argentine football governance. Other divisions, cup competitions, and regional or amateur football have their own structures and organizers. AFA leadership influences the system, but not every competition is run in precisely the same way.
The association also oversees Argentina’s national teams in multiple formats and age groups. That includes the senior men’s and women’s teams, youth sides, and teams in disciplines such as futsal and beach soccer. Each team has its own coaches and staff, while the AFA provides the institutional framework.
Why association decisions matter to supporters
Governance choices can affect schedules, competition formats, club obligations, and the administration of the sport. Changes may influence when teams play, how a tournament is structured, or which rules clubs must follow. Those effects are usually decided through official processes rather than through the president acting alone.
For fans, the AFA is also a source of official announcements about national team activities and competitions under its authority. If a rumor about a fixture, format, coach, or disciplinary decision appears online, look for a dated announcement from the relevant competition organizer or the association before treating it as confirmed.
Tapia’s background and route to the presidency
Tapia came to national prominence through football administration rather than as a professional player or coach. Before becoming AFA president, he was associated with Barracas Central, a Buenos Aires club where he held a leadership role. His path reflects how club administration can lead to a position in the national governing body.
That background is useful context, but it does not by itself explain every decision made during his presidency. AFA policy involves many stakeholders, including clubs, league bodies, and elected or appointed officials. To understand a specific controversy or policy, separate Tapia’s public statements from the formal decision and identify which body approved it.
Tapia is often referred to by the nickname “Chiqui.” News stories may use that nickname instead of his full name, which can make it seem as if they are discussing another official. Both names refer to the same AFA president.
How to verify who leads the AFA
Football leadership can change, and older articles remain searchable long after a new appointment. For the most reliable answer, check the date of the report and distinguish an election result from a proposed candidacy or a legal challenge.
- Start with the date. A page published before the latest AFA assembly may show an earlier term or election plan.
- Look for the official action. Search for an AFA announcement or a report that identifies the assembly decision, not just a candidate’s intention.
- Check the stated term. Confirm whether a source reports an election, a re-election, or a change to the term dates.
- Separate status from dispute. A court filing, complaint, or political criticism does not necessarily mean the officeholder has changed.
This small check prevents a frequent mistake: relying on a headline about a possible election as if it were a completed transfer of leadership. A dated official record or a reliable report of the assembly’s decision is more useful than an undated profile page.
Why the AFA president attracts attention
Argentina’s national teams have a huge following, so the association’s leader is often in the news around major tournaments, coaching appointments, and club disputes. The president is also a public face of the organization when it communicates with international football bodies or responds to issues affecting the sport.
That visibility should not be mistaken for total control. Football associations use rules and decision-making structures, and disputes can involve clubs, competition organizers, players, coaches, regulators, and government bodies. A president may be influential, but an accurate account should identify who made the particular decision.
For example, a coach’s contract is not the same thing as a squad selection, and a tournament-format decision is not the same thing as an in-game ruling. Naming the responsible role helps explain what happened without attributing every outcome to the AFA president.
Quick facts about Argentina’s football association president
- Name: Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia.
- Position: President of the Argentine Football Association, or AFA.
- Became president: 2017.
- Most recent confirmed term: Through 2028, following the October 2024 assembly.
- Not the same as: Argentina’s national team coach, team captain, or national political president.
- Association role: Leadership and representation of the governing body, working within its statutes and decision-making structure.
These facts answer the basic question, but the distinction between the office and the person’s individual authority is just as important. Tapia leads the AFA; he does not personally perform every function of the association or make every football decision in Argentina.
Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia is the president of the Argentine Football Association. He has held the role since 2017, and the AFA confirmed a term through 2028 in October 2024.
Keep the AFA president’s role separate from the coach’s and captain’s jobs: Tapia leads the association, while coaches manage teams and players lead on the field. For a current update, check the date and confirm any reported leadership change against an official AFA announcement.