More than 10 million people have signed an online petition at argentinaout.org calling for Argentina’s expulsion from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, accusing FIFA and match officials of favoring Lionel Messi and the reigning champions. The petition, hosted by argentinaout.com, attracted widespread attention after Argentina’s dramatic comeback victory over Egypt in the last 16.The petition claims Argentina were given favorable decisions throughout the tournament. “Argentina Out is a fan-led movement calling for Argentina to withdraw from the 2026 World Cup,” it reads. “Sign the petition to kick Argentina out and demand consistent rules, transparent officiating and fair competition in every country. Use your voice to make the call to expel Argentina impossible to ignore. “Controversy intensifies after Argentina overturns 2-0 deficit to defeat EgyptAlthough Messi missed the previous penalty, he scored three goals in the final 13 minutes. Egypt were furious after one of their goals was disallowed following a VAR review, while Argentina’s late winner stood despite claims of a foul on Mohamed Salah during the match.Egypt coach Hassan said without hesitation after the game: “I will speak my mind, regardless of the consequences. It was obviously rigged and everyone saw it. If they want to win so much, why do they invite everyone to the World Cup?” He added: “FIFA promotes ‘fair play’ but we don’t see that on the pitch… Without these mistakes the results would have been different.”
Coach Scaloni denies accusations of favoritism
Head coach Lionel Scaloni dismissed the accusations ahead of Argentina’s quarter-final, insisting modern technology makes referee bias almost impossible. “In 1986, they also said Argentina had an unfair advantage. This is nothing new for us,” he said.Scaloni added: “Some people don’t like to see Argentina win. These comments only motivate my team to play better football.”Explaining his point of view, he said: “With VAR and all the technology we have today, it’s very difficult to help anyone. There’s no room for different interpretations… Today, it’s almost impossible.” Argentina are now preparing to face England in the World Cup semi-finals.
