‘Replay the final’: More than 88,000 Argentina fans call for replay after bitter World Cup final defeat

Argentina’s Lionel Messi (10) cries at the end of the World Cup soccer match between Spain and Argentina in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Sunday, July 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough) Spain’s dramatic 1-0 extra-time victory over Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final may have settled the trophy’s destination, but controversy surrounding the stunt continues days after the final whistle.A petition calling for the World Cup final to be replayed has now attracted 88,915 signatures at the time of writing, with thousands of Argentina supporters claiming the match was affected by controversial refereeing decisions.An online campaign launched on Change.org by Argentinian fan Gisela Sánchez is calling on FIFA to review the performance of Slovenian referee Slavko Vinčić, who oversaw Sunday’s final at the New York New Jersey Stadium.

The petition accuses the referee of “controversial and corrupt” performance

Spain clinched their second men’s world title thanks to Ferran Torres’ 106th-minute extra-time winner, ending Argentina’s hopes of defending the trophy they won four years earlier.However, some of Argentina’s supporters did not accept the result.IN petitionSánchez claims that Vinčić gave a “controversial and corrupt” performance and is urging FIFA to investigate several key decisions made during the final.“The recent final between Argentina and Spain was marred by the controversial and corrupt performance of a referee who, according to video footage, was bought to influence the outcome of the match,” the petition said.“It is a huge disappointment for the players, coaches and above all for the fans who are eager to see a game decided by talent and commitment on the pitch and not by manipulated decisions of the referees.“If we allow corruption on this global stage to go unnoticed, we are setting a bad example for future generations of athletes and fans.“We are therefore asking FIFA to seriously and transparently review these incidents and consider repeating the final, this time without the influence of a corrupt referee.”

88,000 Argentina fans demand replay of World Cup final after referees say ‘controversial and corrupt’

However, the petition does not provide independently verified evidence to support these allegations beyond the videos circulating on social media, which the organizer claims are in favor of Spain.

Spain dominated before sealing the victory in extra time

Despite the backlash from some supporters, Spain were generally regarded as the better side in the final.Luis de la Fuente’s side controlled possession for long spells, pinned Argentina deep in their own half and prevented the defending champions from registering a single shot on target in normal time.Goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez repeatedly kept Argentina in the game before Ferran Torres finally broke the deadlock in the 106th minute of extra time.

Fans watch the World Cup soccer final between Argentina and Spain in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sunday, July 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello)

Argentina’s task was already made significantly more difficult after midfielder Enzo Fernández was sent off in the third minute of stoppage time at the end of normal time.Fernández, already flagged for dissent after having a free-kick denied, was shown a second yellow card for an unruly challenge on Spain defender Pau Cubarsí, reducing Lionel Scaloni’s side to ten men before the start of extra time.According to match statistics, Vinčić awarded 46 fouls during the final, with 25 committed by Argentina, as the match became increasingly fragmented.

After the final whistle, the mood was on the boil

The frustration carried over into the closing moments of the evening.Immediately after Spain were confirmed as world champions, ugly scenes broke out on the pitch.Leandro Paredes was sent off at the final whistle following clashes involving Eric Garcia and Gavi, while Nahuel Molina also appeared to have sparked some of the confrontation after clashing with Spain captain Rodrigo.The incidents have since become the subject of a separate FIFA disciplinary review.During ITV’s coverage, former England defender Gary Neville was heavily critical of Argentina’s behaviour.“It’s a shame,” said Neville.“I love the competitiveness of the Argentinians, they fight and scrap for their lives every game. Messi has kept them at times and they are very competitive and I love that element of them.”“But the last few games have been a disgrace.

A similar replay campaign appeared earlier in the tournament

Argentina’s petition is not the first online campaign calling for a repeat of the World Cup during this tournament.Following Spain’s semi-final victory over France, French supporters launched a similar petition on Change.org after questioning the controversial incident that led to the penalty that opened the scoring.This campaign also collected more than 82,000 signatures, although this had no effect on the official FIFA result.Likewise, there is no indication that the latest petition will change the outcome of the World Cup final.Meanwhile, Change.org also hosted petitions that took the opposite stance. One campaign calling for Argentina to be banned from future World Cups gathered more than 29 million signatures before it was eventually shut down.Outside of the internet debate, after the team returned home, thousands of Argentina supporters gathered across the country to applaud Lionel Scaloni’s side for reaching a second consecutive World Cup final despite failing to retain their title against an impressive Spanish side.