An online petition demanding Argentina's expulsion from the 2026 FIFA World Cup has gathered over 10 million signatures. Fans claim widespread referee bias and favoritism towards the reigning champions and their captain, Lionel Messi. The petition gained significant momentum after Argentina's controversial Round of 16 victory against Egypt.[timesofindia+2]
Controversy Ignites After Egypt Match
The petition, hosted on argentinaout.com, surged in popularity following Argentina's dramatic comeback win over Egypt in the Round of 16. Argentina trailed Egypt 2-0 but scored three goals in the final 13 minutes to win 3-2. During the match, officials disallowed an Egyptian goal after a VAR review. Argentina's late winning goal also stood despite claims of a foul on Egypt's Mohamed Salah in the build-up.[world+4]
Egypt manager Hossam Hassan publicly accused FIFA of wanting to keep Messi in the tournament. "This has clearly been rigged, and everyone has seen it," Hassan said. "If they want them to win so badly, why are they inviting everyone to participate in the World Cup?"He added that FIFA promotes "Fair Play," but his team did not see it on the pitch, suggesting the outcome would have been different without the officiating mistakes.[world+4]
Widespread Accusations of Favoritism
The petition explicitly states, "It is obvious that FIFA and the referees are biased toward Lionel Messi and Argentina." It questions why other nations should compete if the winner is already decided.Beyond the Egypt match, critics point to other incidents as evidence of preferential treatment. In Argentina's opening match against Algeria, Messi committed a foul by driving his studs into an opponent's shin and Achilles tendon. Polish referee Szymon Marciniak did not show Messi a card for the incident, and the VAR team also ignored it.[livemint+2]
Another controversial moment occurred during Argentina's game against Switzerland. The referee initially awarded Switzerland a free kick and a yellow card to Argentina's Leandro Paredes. However, a VAR review reversed the decision, penalizing Switzerland's Breel Embolo for simulation. This resulted in Embolo receiving a second yellow card and being sent off, forcing Switzerland to play with 10 men.Swiss head coach Murat Yakin expressed his frustration, saying his team felt unfairly treated.[newsukraine+1]
The petition calls for FIFA to investigate matches involving Argentina. It demands decisive action, including disqualification, if corruption evidence is found. The campaign states its goal is to ensure the World Cup remains an authentic competition where victories are earned fairly.[change]
Argentina and FIFA Respond to Allegations
Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni has dismissed the allegations of favoritism. He argued that modern technology, including VAR, makes referee bias "extremely difficult." Scaloni stated there is "no room for different interpretations" in today's game.He also noted that Argentina has faced similar accusations throughout its history, including during its 1986 World Cup victory.[timesofindia+2]
FIFA's chief refereeing officer, Pierluigi Collina, strongly defended the integrity of World Cup match officials. He stated that "nobody can question the integrity of the FIFA World Cup match officials." Collina added that claims of FIFA Refereeing being influenced by anyone, even the FIFA President, are unfounded. He emphasized that match officials make honest decisions, just like players and coaches.[si]
The appointment of Ismail Elfath as the referee for Argentina's semi-final match against England also sparked controversy. Elfath was the fourth official when Argentina won the 2022 World Cup. He also refereed several games where Lionel Messi's club teams, Inter Miami, won. Critics online suggested this appointment further supported theories of a rigged tournament.[unilad]
Despite the widespread outrage and the petition's large number of signatures, FIFA has not officially responded to the specific petition. There is no indication that the petition will have any impact on the tournament or Argentina's ongoing campaign.The petition organizers acknowledge it is symbolic and not an official FIFA process, but they believe the scale of support makes it impossible to ignore.[youtube+1]
The controversy continues to fuel social media discussions as Argentina progresses in the tournament. Fans and critics remain divided over whether the team is benefiting from biased officiating or simply performing as champions.
