Over ten million people have signed an online petition at argentinaout.org demanding Argentina be expelled from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, accusing FIFA and match officials of favouring Lionel Messi and the defending champions. The petition, hosted on argentinaout.com, gained massive attention after Argentina’s dramatic comeback win over Egypt in the Round of 16.The petition claims Argentina have received favourable decisions throughout the tournament. “Argentina Out is a fan-led campaign calling for Argentina to be removed from the 2026 World Cup,” it read. “Sign the Kick Out Argentina petition to demand consistent rules, transparent officiating, and fair competition for every nation. Add your voice and help make the call to kick out Argentina impossible to ignore.”The controversy intensified after Argentina overturned a 2-0 deficit to beat Egypt, scoring three goals in the final 13 minutes despite Messi missing an earlier 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’ll say what I think, regardless of the consequences. This has clearly been rigged, and everyone has seen 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’ve been different.”
Head coach Scaloni rejects favouritism claims
Ahead of Argentina’s quarter-final, manager Lionel Scaloni dismissed the allegations, insisting modern technology makes referee bias almost impossible. “In 1986, they also said 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’s extremely difficult to help anyone. There is no room for different interpretations… today, it’s next to impossible.” Argentina are now preparing to face England in the World Cup semi-finals.