FIFA World Cup: What triggered campaign against Lionel Messi and Argentina
An online petition calling for Argentina's disqualification from the FIFA World Cup has gained over 10 million signatures amid allegations of bias toward Lionel Messi. Critics claim match officials have favored the team throughout the tournament, citing specific controversial calls in matches against Algeria and Egypt.
Why it matters
The controversy highlights the intense global scrutiny of officiating in major sporting events and the power of viral online movements to influence public discourse in sports.
Controversy over FIFA's alleged favouritism towards Lionel Messi and Argentina refuses to die down, even as the World Cup heads into its business end.Ahead of the defending champions' semi-final clash against bitter rivals England, an online petition has been launched demanding the three-time winners' expulsion from the tournament, the South China Morning Post reported. With 48 teams, the 2026 edition is the largest FIFA World Cup ever and the first to be jointly hosted by three countries (Canada, Mexico, and the United States) .The petition, hosted on argentinaout.com, went viral recently after calling for Argentina to be disqualified from the competition.As of Wednesday evening, the petition had garnered more than 10 million (one crore) signatures, surpassing its target of 10 million signatures.
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