According to Podrobno.uz, an online petition demanding the exclusion of the Argentine national team from the 2026 FIFA World Cup has garnered over three million signatures. The authors accuse FIFA and referees of bias in favor of the reigning world champions and Lionel Messi personally.

They claim that refereeing decisions are consistently made in Argentina's favor, putting other teams at a disadvantage. Fans' discontent was particularly sparked by the Round of 16 match between Argentina and Egypt. Egypt led 2-0, but Argentina managed to equalize and snatch a late victory. After the match, Egyptian representatives accused FIFA of corruption and the referees of aiding their opponents.

Other grievances cited in the petition include a high number of penalties awarded to Argentina, overlooked fouls, and alleged bias against Argentina's opponents. The website also includes accusations against individual Argentine fans.

The petition holds no official status and cannot by itself lead to the team's exclusion from the World Cup. Earlier reports indicated that Argentina defeated Switzerland 3-1 in extra time to reach the 2026 World Cup semifinals, where they will face England.

Source: podrobno.uz