Maradona delivered an expletive-laden tirade, broadcast on live TV, that was directed at reporters and critics after his side qualified for the 2010 finals.

Fifa president Sepp Blatter said there was "no alternative" but to ask Fifa's disciplinary committee to open a case.

Maradona, 48, could be banned for a minimum of five matches and fined.

However, the head of the Argentine Football Federation, Julio Grondona, claimed: "If it were another coach or player, the matter would not have had such importance.

"Everybody knows he's a temperamental person and he's already said he won't speak like that again."

But Maradona has refused to apologise to the press for his actions in interviews on Argentine radio and television.

"I don't have to apologise," he told Radio Continental on Thursday. "All I was doing was reacting to all those people who have spoken out against me. That's as far as it goes.

"I'm not going to perform a U-turn. Everyone knows what has been said. It seems to me that a lot of journalists wanted the national team not to qualify for the World Cup finals.

"For me, that's anti-Argentine and is something I can't forgive."

On Friday he told TyC Sports television: "I apologise to women, to my mother, to Argentinian women, to Uruguayan women and to women throughout the world. But only to them, not the others."

Fifa is understood to be investigating whether Maradona's comments breach Article 58 of the organisation's disciplinary code.

The relevant passage reads: "Anyone who offends the dignity of a person or group of persons through contemptuous, discriminatory or denigratory words or actions concerning race, colour, language, religion or origin shall be suspended for at least five matches.

"Furthermore, a stadium ban and a fine of at least 20,000 Swiss Francs shall be imposed."

Maradona is a football icon in Argentina following his success as a player but his time as the national team's coach has been hugely controversial, with Argentina having struggled to reach the 2010 finals in South Africa.

As a player he produced a series of stellar displays to guide them to victory in the 1986 World Cup and then helped them reach the final, which they lost to Germany, four years later.

But his time as coach has included a 6-1 defeat in Bolivia and a 3-1 home loss to Brazil and the fans had feared they might not make it to South Africa.

Going into the final two qualifying matches a poll showed that the majority of Argentina fans thought Maradona was unfit to coach the national team, but in the end Argentina won both games to book their ticket to South Africa.

They were both were scrappy victories requiring late goals, although a draw in their final game against Uruguay would have been enough to earn a spot at the finals.