More than ten million people have signed an online petition at argentinaout.org demanding that Argentina be kicked out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, accusing FIFA and match officials of favoring Lionel Messi and the defending champions. The petition, hosted on argentinaout.com, gained a lot of attention after Argentina’s dramatic victory over Egypt in the Round of 16.The petition says Argentina received favorable decisions throughout the tournament. “Argentina Out is a fan-led campaign calling for Argentina to be kicked out of the 2026 World Cup,” it read. “Look at the Kick Out Argentina petition to ask for consistent rules, transparent office and fair competition for every nation. Add your voice and help make the call to remove Argentina impossible to ignore.”The controversy intensified after Argentina overturned a 2-0 deficit to beat Egyptscored three goals in the final 13 minutes despite Messi missing an early penalty. Egypt were furious after one of their goals was ruled out following a VAR review, while Argentina’s late winner stood despite claims of a foul on Mohamed Salah in the build-up.Egypt manager Hossam Hassan did not hold back after the match, saying: “I say what I think, regardless of the consequences. This is clearly rigged, and everyone saw it. If they want them to win so badly, why are they inviting everyone to participate in the World Cup? He added: “FIFA promotes ‘Fair Play’, but we didn’t see it on the pitch … without those mistakes, the result would have been different.”
Head coach Scaloni rejects claims of favouritism
Ahead of Argentina’s quarter-finals, manager Lionel Scaloni dismissed the allegations, insisting that modern technology makes referee bias almost impossible. “In 1986, they also said that Argentina was getting unfair advantages. This is nothing new for us,” he said.Scaloni added: “There are people who don’t like to see Argentina win. These comments only inspire my team to play better football.”Explaining his point, he said: “With VAR and all the technology we have today, it is very difficult to help someone. There is no room for different interpretations … today, it is almost impossible.” Argentina are now preparing to face England in the semi-finals of the World Cup.