More than 10 million sign petition to ban Argentina from FIFA World Cup over referee bias

More than 10 million have signed a petition calling for Argentina’s exclusion from the World Cup Over ten million people have signed an online petition on argentinaout.org calling for Argentina to be banned from 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 huge attention after Argentina’s dramatic comeback over Egypt in the Round of 16.The petition claims Argentina received favorable rulings during 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 and demand consistent rules, transparent officiating and fair competition for every nation. Add your voice and help make the call to kick Argentina impossible to ignore.”The controversy intensified after Argentina overcame 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 set-piece.Egypt manager Hossam Hassan didn’t hold back after the game, saying: “I’ll say what I think, regardless of the consequences. This was clearly rigged and everyone saw it. If they want to win so badly, why are they inviting everyone to 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 favoritism

Ahead of Argentina’s quarter-final, manager Lionel Scaloni dismissed the allegations, insisting that modern technology makes referee bias almost impossible. “They also said in 1986 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.”He explained his point, saying: “With VAR and all the technology we have today, it’s extremely difficult to help someone. There’s no room for different interpretations… it’s almost impossible today.” Argentina are now preparing to face England in the semi-finals of the World Cup.