World Cup 2026 controversy: Argentina faces investigation after nearly record breaking signs in online petition

The 2026 FIFA World Cup has been nothing short of a rollercoaster, packed with exciting moments, shocking upsets, and edge-of-your-seat action. But while Argentina's fanbase has been growing louder with every match, the controversy around them has grown stronger with each win before the finals. An online petition citing various misconduct and unfair practices by the team has since garnered millions of signatures, and had almost set a Guinness World Record for the most signatures on an online petition. 

Why millions signed the 'Argentina Out' petition during the 2026 FIFA World Cup

The petition called out the discrepancy in fair play and favouritism towards Argentina during the match. The controversy reached its peak when Argentina pulled off a 2-0 score against Egypt, scoring three goals in the final 13 minutes despite Lionel Messi missing an earlier penalty.

The petition read, "Argentina Out is a fan-led campaign calling for Argentina to be removed from the 2026 World Cup. Sign the Kick Out Argentina petition to demand consistent rules, transparent officiating, and fair competition for every nation. Add your voice and help make the call to kick out Argentina impossible to ignore."

The now closed petition has garnered around 23,316,108 signatures to be precise. And a few more could’ve easily beaten the Guinness World Record for the most signatories that stands at 24,319,181. 

The viral petition before the closing stated, “Over 23 million people from 170 countries signed this petition in under a week. FIFA ignored us but Spain delivered. Thank you Spain." 

What was the major concern?

The world believed that the team was using unfair ways to win the game. One of the major one that came to light was their acceptance of preferential treatment from FIFA, that allegedly helped Lionel Messi and Argentina progress. 

The result

FIFA has confirmed that Argentina will face an investigation following the "disgusting" scenes that unfolded after the World Cup final. FIFA's disciplinary committee has appointed an ethics prosecutor to assess what happened. The team has already gone viral for all the wrong reasons and this petition is a testament to which these players must be held accountable. As of now no other development has been made public.

For more updates, join/follow our WhatsApp, Telegram and YouTube channels.