Abdulhafiz TeslimA petition urging FIFA to take serious action against Argentina has surpassed 10 million signatures following the reigning champions’ dramatic 2-1 win over England on Wednesday night.
The Three Lions were denied the opportunity to reach their first World Cup final in 60 years, despite taking the lead through Anthony Gordon in the second half. Lionel Messi once again showcased his brilliance by providing two assists—first for Enzo Fernández’s long-range equaliser, and then for Lautaro Martínez’s headed winner—as La Albiceleste completed a remarkable comeback.
Argentina have faced accusations of “corruption” throughout the tournament, and it appears those claims have reached boiling point following Wednesday’s clash.
Viral Petition Urges FIFA to Take Serious Action Against Argentina
Argentina’s World Cup campaign has been surrounded by controversy after millions of fans reportedly signed an online petition demanding that the defending champions be removed from the tournament, alleging that referees and FIFA have shown favouritism towards Messi and his team.
According to The US Economic Times, the petition, found on Argentinaout.com, states:
> “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.”
The main source of the anger stems from another come-from-behind victory, as Lionel Scaloni’s side scored three goals in 14 minutes to beat Egypt 3-2 in the quarter-finals.
Egypt furiously argued that one of their goals was disallowed following a VAR review for an earlier foul, while Argentina’s late winning goal was allowed to stand despite claims of a foul in the build-up. Meanwhile, there were also claims that Mohamed Salah should have been awarded a penalty earlier in the match.
An FBI investigation, along with other shocking scandal cases, certainly hasn’t helped Argentina block out the outside noise and concentrate on defending their title. However, they managed that superbly on Wednesday night.
While there is certainly room for England to feel that some refereeing decisions went against them at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Thomas Tuchel’s decision to defend the narrow lead his side had taken ultimately cost England in their pursuit of bringing football home.
The fact remains that the Three Lions are yet to beat a top-four nation at a major international tournament. Having reached six semi-finals but only two finals during that period is a worrying indictment of how often the team has fallen short at the decisive stage.
Sitting back ultimately proved costly for England, as their defenders lost composure and allowed Argentina’s attacking quality to overturn the fragile lead they had built.
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Abdulhafiz Teslim