Lionel Messi has responded to Argentina’s critics with a blunt message: nothing was handed to the reigning World Cup champions. The Argentina captain pushed back at claims that the team has benefited from generous refereeing and broader favoritism within the sport, arguing that the squad’s trademark late surges—most recently in the semifinal against England—are rooted in pedigree rather than luck.
Argentina’s latest comeback arrived on Wednesday as they overturned a 1-0 deficit late in the match to beat England 2-1 and book a place in the World Cup final. After going behind in the 85th minute, the South American side found the equaliser and then completed the turnaround to reach the decisive match.
The win sparked celebrations on a huge scale, with tens of thousands spilling into the streets of Buenos Aires to mark another dramatic escape. It also extended a pattern that has defined the team’s run, leaving Argentina just one victory away from retaining the trophy and potentially becoming champions back-to-back. Their next test is Spain in Sunday’s final.
Argentina’s path to the semifinal had already featured multiple twists. Earlier in the tournament, they needed extra time to get past Cape Verde and Switzerland, and they also staged an extraordinary recovery to defeat Egypt 3-2. In that match, Argentina trailed 2-0 with only 11 minutes left in regular time but still managed to level and complete a turnaround. Despite the results, both Switzerland and Egypt’s coaching staffs voiced dissatisfaction with refereeing decisions. Egypt’s Hossam Hassan went further, suggesting his team was harmed by an environment that, in his view, favours Messi and Argentina.
Those comments added fuel to wider criticism from supporters who believe the tournament draw and officiating have not been balanced for La Albiceleste. The backlash was also amplified by claims circulating on social media that FIFA wants Argentina to win the World Cup again.
Speaking after the England semifinal, Messi insisted the team’s standing has been earned on the pitch. “We’ve been the best over these past four years, either you like it or not, and no matter what anyone says,” he said. “Once again, we’ve established ourselves among the top two teams in the world. That proves that everything we’ve done is no fluke and that nothing was handed to us.”
Central to the latest dispute was a moment involving Switzerland that left those who already suspect bias feeling vindicated. Switzerland had equalised at 1-1 through Dan Ndoye in the 67th minute, but the game swung again when Leandro Paredes received a yellow card for a challenge on Breel Embolo. After the match, video evidence fed the argument that the Swiss player went down before contact was made. Because Embolo had already been booked earlier in the contest, the decision led to a second yellow and a red card, forcing Switzerland to defend with 10 men.
Switzerland coach Murat Yakin said the outcome was shaped by a rule he believes is unacceptable. “We were punished because of a rule that in my opinion is completely unacceptable,” he said after the game. “It’s very painful that we were eliminated that way. I don’t think we deserve that today, and in my opinion, my boys are the real heroes.”
In Egypt’s case, the Egyptian Football Association said it “cannot remain silent” following what it described as unfair and biased officiating in Argentina’s win over Egypt.
Argentina, meanwhile, did not directly acknowledge the complaints about officiating or FIFA. In earlier media appearances, coach Lionel Scaloni even urged journalists who asked about the controversy “not to consume so much social media.” After the England victory, though, the champions responded more forcefully to the criticism.
“Reaching two consecutive World Cup finals is something very few achieve, and this group did it,” Messi said. “If we had lost to England, there would have been people coming out to spout some nonsense, but we didn’t give them the chance.”
The semifinal added another layer to a long-running confrontation that extends far beyond football. The wider feud now includes British control over the Falkland Islands, which Argentina refers to as the Malvinas and claims as sovereign territory.
On Thursday, the British government urged FIFA to investigate Argentina after players celebrating their win over England posed with a banner passed to them by supporters. The sign read, “Las Malvinas son Argentinas,” meaning “The Malvinas are Argentine.”
Enzo Fernandez also addressed the intention behind his role in the celebration. The midfielder’s goal levelled the match at 1-1, and he admitted that his celebration was aimed at Argentina’s detractors. Fernandez first cupped his hands to his ears—a gesture often interpreted in football as a challenge to critics—before opening and closing his fingers as if inviting them to keep talking.
“There was a lot of talk; it was a mix of euphoria and frustration,” Fernandez said.
Scaloni, in turn, played down the controversy during the post-semifinal press conference. “This talk of ‘help’ will always exist; it doesn’t bother me,” he said, reinforcing Argentina’s stance that their run to the final is the product of performance, not outside influence.
