Argentina Faces Online Backlash After 3-2 Egypt Win as FIFA Complaint Fuels World Cup Row
Updated
Updated · Mashable · Jul 9
Argentina Faces Online Backlash After 3-2 Egypt Win as FIFA Complaint Fuels World Cup Row
3 articles · Updated · Mashable · Jul 9
Summary
Egypt's formal FIFA complaint after Argentina's 3-2 Round-of-16 comeback turned the defending champions into the World Cup's main online villain, with rival fan bases piling on across TikTok and X.
Hossam Hassan suggested officials wanted Lionel Messi kept in the tournament, but BBC Sport said the disputed VAR and refereeing calls were controversial rather than proof of a conspiracy.
FIFA's appointment of an all-Argentine on-field officiating crew for France's quarterfinal against Morocco added to the perception problem, even as no evidence has substantiated bias claims.
That backlash reaches beyond one match, drawing on Argentina's 2022 win over France, regional rivalries with Brazil and Mexico, and wider debates over race after the 2024 Copa América chant controversy and a separate FIFA probe tied to iShowSpeed.