I’m someone who enjoys getting involved in controversy, but there are some debates I’ve stayed away from. Today isn’t one of them.
The football world seems to be turning against Argentina, and this time it feels like more and more people have started noticing something unusual that keeps happening, once again involving Messi and the Argentine national team at the World Cup.
I’m not going to come here and directly accuse Gianni Infantino of being biased, although I do think he’s done a poor job, and not just because of this controversy. But the fact remains: Argentina have repeatedly benefited from decisions in matches that are, at the very least, questionable.
Refereeing has never been perfect and it never will be. When mistakes happen, they usually balance out over time, and every national team ends up benefiting from some decisions and suffering from others. But this feels different. It feels as though there is one team that simply never seems to suffer from “bad” refereeing.
Back in 2022, it felt like Argentina were being awarded penalties in almost every match. And after the game against the Netherlands, everything already seemed to be falling into place. Many people came away with the feeling that Argentina were going to win, not only because of their football, but because something had already been “decided”.
Football, like sport in general, is driven by narratives. It sells stories. It sells the product. It generates money. The NBA is a good example. There have been situations, particularly around the Draft, where there has never been concrete proof of wrongdoing, yet many people believe things happen behind the scenes.
The difference now is that it is no longer just a small group raising questions. It feels like the entire football world, apart from Argentina supporters and the most devoted Messi fans, is talking about it. And that’s understandable. If it were my national team benefiting from these situations, I’d probably accept it too.
This also isn’t the first time that players and managers have publicly questioned refereeing decisions involving Argentina. And it probably won’t be the last. Right now, the perception among many fans is clear: Argentina are being pushed towards yet another World Cup final.
Conclusion
There have been too many questionable moments, too many controversial matches and too many recurring patterns for many people to dismiss it as mere coincidence. There may be no concrete proof, but the wider perception in football right now is that transparency and fairness are being called into question.
And when that happens, the issue is no longer just about who wins or loses. It is the credibility of the sport itself that is put at risk.