Over seven million petitions were reportedly signed to ‘kick Argentina out of the World Cup’, alleging ‘bias’ towards La Albiceleste and Lionel Messi in the ongoing tournament. Argentina are set to face England in their World Cup semifinal and are looking to defend the crown that they won in 2022.ย
Argentina defeated a 10-man Switzerland in the quarterfinals to book their place in the semis, while they registered a come-from-behind win over Egypt in the round of 16. The game against Egypt copped criticism from the Egyptian camp as the refereeing was put under question when Mo Salah was not given a penalty for an alleged foul in Argentina’s box late in the second half.
The statement from the campaign, by argentinaout.com, reads: “It is obvious that FIFA and the referees are biased toward Lionel Messi and Argentina. Why should the rest of the world compete when the winner has already been decided? Kick Argentina out of the World Cup and give everyone else a fair chance.”
Egypt sent official complaint demanding expulsion of referee
Meanwhile, the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) sent an official complaint to FIFA, demanding an investigation into referee Francois Letexier and his entire officiating team following their 3-2 defeat to Argentina. In a statement released on Wednesday, July 8, the EFA confirmed that their president, Hany Aburida, had taken the matter directly to FIFA rather than relying solely on the usual post-match review process.
โHany Aburida, President of the Egyptian Football Federation, filed a complaint with FIFA, demanding an investigation into the French referee Francois Letexier… after the serious refereeing mistakes committed by the team of referees and double standards, which caused the Egypt team to lose the match and leave the World Cup,โ the Egyptian federation said in a statement, according to AFP news agency.
Argentina to meet England
Argentina and England will be locking horns in the World Cup 2026 semifinal, reigniting the fierce rivalry between the two sides. It will be the first World Cup meeting between the two champions after their 2002 group stage clash that England won 1-0 after David Beckham’s first-half penalty.ย
“From a player’s point of view, it’s us against a great team, who are smart, who are tactical, who know how to buy fouls, know how to slow the game down — like many different teams you come up against throughout your whole career,” Kane told ITV before the match.
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