Mauro Icardi has been banned from driving in Argentina until January 1, 2099, and this extraordinary ban has been traced to an expired driving licence, despite the former Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain striker insisting that he holds a valid Italian licence.
The 33-year-old found himself at the centre of a controversy after a video posted on social media by his partner, Eugenia “China” Suárez, showed her travelling in Icardi’s car without wearing a seatbelt and with a large part of her body outside the vehicle while it was moving.
The footage attracted the attention of authorities in Buenos Aires Province in Argentina, who subsequently investigated Icardi’s driving status.
Their checks revealed that the Argentine footballer’s local driving licence had expired, leading the provincial Ministry of Transport to impose a preventive disqualification.
The ministry confirmed the action in an official statement, explaining that “Following the video’s release, it was verified that Icardi’s driving licence had expired.”
The authorities also pointed to the circumstances shown in the video, arguing that Icardi had a responsibility to ensure that the passengers in his vehicle were travelling safely.
The official statement said Suárez “removed her seatbelt, climbed onto the window and stuck a large part of her body outside the vehicle while Icardi was driving.”
It added that the conduct “puts her own physical integrity, that of the other occupants of the vehicle and that of third parties at risk.”
Authorities Explain The 2099 Ban
The unusual nature of Icardi’s punishment attracted widespread attention after the preventive disqualification was registered with a date extending to January 1, 2099.
That date has led to reports that Icardi had effectively been banned from driving until he would be 105 years old.
However, the authorities’ explanation indicates that the 2099 date should not be interpreted as a straightforward 73-year driving ban.
The Ministry of Transport said that because Icardi is domiciled in Buenos Aires Province, he must apply for a new licence through the appropriate jurisdiction and undergo an evaluation before being allowed to obtain one.
“Before obtaining a new licence, he must undergo an evaluation to determine whether he is fit to drive,” the authorities said. They also added that “Road safety does not allow for exceptions.”
The ministry described the preventive measure as a way of ensuring that Icardi meets the necessary requirements before being permitted to drive again.
Icardi, however, has strongly disputed the decision and questioned how authorities could restrict his ability to drive when he claims to possess an Italian licence valid until 2029.
The Argentine striker also accused the transport authorities of using his name to generate publicity and criticised the state of the country’s roads in his response.
Icardi reportedly argued that he had surrendered his Argentine licence when obtaining his European licence, raising questions over the legal basis for the authorities’ action from his perspective.
The controversy has therefore developed into a dispute over both Icardi’s expired Argentine licence and the validity of his claim regarding his Italian driving permit.
For the authorities, however, the immediate issue points to the fact that their investigation found that the Argentine licence connected to Icardi had expired, while the conduct captured in the video raised separate road-safety concerns.
The preventive disqualification will remain in place until Icardi completes the required process to demonstrate that he meets the conditions for obtaining a new licence.
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