Lionel Messi affirmed that the Argentine team did not receive any favor on the journey to the 2026 World Cup final, and rejected accusations that the defending champion was favored by referees and FIFA.
Speaking after the 2-1 victory over England in the semi-finals, the 39-year-old superstar emphasized that Argentina's consecutive comebacks simply reflect the bravery and experience of a team that has gradually reached the world's top.
Being led by England until the 85th minute, Argentina still successfully reversed the score to win 2-1, thereby reaching the final against Spain.
This victory caused tens of thousands of fans to take to the streets of Buenos Aires to celebrate. This is also the third consecutive time Argentina has created an impressive comeback in the knockout round, after overcoming Egypt and Switzerland to get closer to the goal of defending the championship.
Previously, Argentina defeated Cabo Verde and Switzerland after extra time, and created an unbelievable comeback against Egypt. They scored 3 goals in the last 11 minutes to win 3-2 despite once being led 0-2.
However, that journey also comes with many controversies. After the matches against Egypt and Switzerland, coach Hossam Hassan and Murat Yakin publicly criticized the refereeing work. Hassan even said that his team was a victim of a football system that favored Messi and Argentina.
These statements sparked a wave of debate on social networks, where many people believe that the bracket has brought an advantage to Argentina and FIFA wants to see the reigning champion continue to be crowned. However, there is no concrete evidence to prove these accusations.
Responding to criticisms, Messi affirmed that Argentina's achievements come from strength: "In the past 4 years, we have always been the best team, whether you like it or not and no matter what anyone says. Once again, we have proven that we are in the two strongest teams in the world. That shows that all achievements are ours, nothing is awarded".
For most of this year's tournament, coach Lionel Scaloni avoided commenting on referee-related controversies. He repeatedly advised the media "not to pay too much attention to social media". However, after defeating England to reach the final, he decided to speak out.
Scaloni believes that doubts will always exist, but with the support of VAR, manipulation of results is almost impossible.
Rumors about being helped will always appear. That doesn't bother me. With VAR, it's very difficult for anyone to receive favor. We know no one will help us" - the Argentine captain affirmed.
Midfielder Enzo Fernandez also admitted that the celebration after the 1-1 equalizer against England was a response to those who criticized Argentina. He put both hands on his ears and continuously spread and closed his fingers as if to challenge the gossip.
There is too much talked about. It's a mixture of joy and disappointment" - Fernandez shared.
