Lionel Messi has addressed the issue of the accusations against Argentina regarding the referee help in their matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, quickly reacting to these remarks after he had led Argentina to an impressive comeback against the England national team in the semi-finals.
The match saw Argentina winning the game in the last minutes and thus getting to the World Cup final for the second consecutive time.
After England opened the score with a goal from Anthony Gordon early in the second half, the national team of Argentina managed to organize a comeback, just like it was usual for them in the tournament, scoring two goals by Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez, both assisted by Messi.
After the match was over, the fans and commentators were concerned about a whole number of issues, except for football only.
Lionel Messi Dismisses FIFA Bias Allegations
Addressing the controversy for the first time, Messi rejected suggestions that Argentina's run to the final had anything to do with refereeing decisions. Instead, the captain insisted the team's consistency over the last four years speaks for itself.
"It hurts whoever it hurts… We've been the best for the last four years, whether people like it or not, no matter what they say. Once again, we're among the two best in the world, and that shows that everything we've done isn't by chance, and nobody gave us anything. Reaching two consecutive World Cup finals is something few achieve, and this group did it."
The statements made by Messi were in the wake of many weeks of debates happening online about various contentious incidents occurring in Argentina.
Various questions were raised related to the officiating in games against Algeria, Egypt, and Switzerland, while the VAR decisions at the crucial moments led to accusations by other fans that the Argentina team was enjoying special treatment.
However, Argentina managed to perform very well despite whatever criticism they have faced for their games, showing the same spirit of fighting back, which brought them the World Cup a few years ago.
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The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner also claimed Argentina deserved their place in the final on footballing merit, insisting the team had been superior to England despite trailing for much of the second half.
"If we had lost to England, people would have come out and said some nonsense, and we didn't give them the chance. We knew that we were better than them in terms of football, but a lot is at stake in a match of this magnitude, where historic events happen in these games."
Argentina One Step Away From History
The victory sends Argentina into their second consecutive FIFA World Cup final, keeping alive their dream of defending the title won in 2022. It also strengthens Messi's argument that the team's sustained success is built on quality rather than controversy.
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