FIFA bans Panama’s soccer president for offensive comments on women’s national team star

FIFA has suspended the president of the Panamanian Football Federation for his scandalous comments about a star player in the women’s national team.

Manuel Arias has suggested midfielder Martha Cox was “fat” after making critical comments about the composition of the national team that has qualified for the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

“President Arias has been suspended for six months until July 14, 2025, and will not be able to participate in the federation’s soccer-related activities,” the Panamanian Football Federation said in a statement late Thursday.

The suspension will rule Arias out of a series of men’s national team games in the CONCACAF region: Nations League games in March, two 2026 World Cup qualifiers in June and the Gold Cup in the United States, scheduled for June 14-July 6. Panama reached the final stage. The 2023 Gold Cup was lost to Mexico.

Aria said on Thursday that the ban on social media was due to “sad” comments in March 2024.

“I used very sad language that should never have been used,” Arias said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The federation’s vice-president, Fernando Arce, said he would work as an interim leader until the end of the ban and admitted that there is still work to be done in women’s football.

Cox recently signed for Turkish club Fenerbahce after playing for Xlos in Mexico. The 27-year-old scored in a 6-3 group stage defeat by France at the Women’s World Cup.