When Spain lifted the FIFA World Cup 2026 trophy, the wave of happiness on social media was not just because La Roja secured their second title. Instead, a shocking series of posts celebrated because Argentina did not win. A sense of hatred toward the South American nation erupted online, peaking with severe accusations, including American actor Samuel L. Jackson publicly labelling Argentina as one of the “most racist countries in the world”, a “mafia” expose on the Argentine Football Association by French journalist Romain Molina and a lot more. Now, four days after the final whistle of the World Cup, the AFA is reportedly stepping forward to take legal action against the anti-Argentine campaign and the misinformation spread about the nation and its players. What exactly is this misinformation, and what action could Argentina be taking against whom? Let’s take a deep look into the matter.
📲 Samuel L. Jackson publicó una historia pidiéndole a la comunidad negra que no apoye a Argentina asegurando que es “uno de los países más racistas, si no el más racista”
El reconocido actor es estadounidense pic.twitter.com/Mm2sRT6qIb
— Fefe (@fedeebongiorno) July 20, 2026
The anti-Argentina campaign online during FIFA World Cup 2026
During the tournament, a severe anti-Argentina narrative surged across platforms like X (formerly Twitter). Maria de los Angeles Lasa, an International Relations graduate, analysed this phenomenon to understand how these hate speeches were activated, as quoted by La Nacion, the Argentine daily newspaper based in Buenos Aires. She based her analysis on a sample of 40,000 posts made between June 11 and July 20, 2026, that featured the Argentina national football team, Lionel Messi or any other players or their federation written in English or Spanish.
🚨 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚: The AFA is preparing to take LEGAL ACTION against the wave of misinformation and smears targeting Argentina and their players at the World Cup. 🇦🇷
Defamation lawsuits are on the table — focusing on fake allegations, doctored images, unverified claims and… pic.twitter.com/9WHQQTLTnY
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) July 22, 2026
What are the controversies and misinformation about Argentina?
The misinformation targeted both the players on the field and the executives off it. During the final against Spain, tackles and actions by Argentine players were scrutinised. Enzo Fernandez received a red card in stoppage time for a reckless challenge on Spain defender Pau Cubarsi. Following the foul, Nicolas Tagliafico was accused online of faking an injury to distract the referee from the red card, while captain Lionel Messi was scrutinised for protesting to the officials.
Once the final whistle confirmed Spain’s victory, tempers boiled over completely. Leandro Paredes was shown a straight red card after grabbing Spain’s Eric Garcia by the throat and pushing Gavi to the ground during a brawl. Additionally, defender Nahuel Molina appeared to strike Spain’s captain Rodri. These ugly scenes led to severe online backlash.
Further escalating the backlash, Argentine players faced international criticism following their semi-final victory over England by unfurling a banner reading “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” (The Falklands are Argentine). The UK and Falklands governments condemned the display.
Off the pitch, the team faced severe administrative accusations. French journalist Romain Molina released an expose alleging a “mafia-style” operation within the federation, accusing them of money laundering, sexual assault on minors, and FIFA trying to cover this up. Furthermore, rumours spread rapidly that FIFA President Gianni Infantino was secretly pulling strings to favour Argentina’s World Cup run. In addition to these rumours, an investigative report by the Argentine newspaper La Nacion revealed that the FBI launched a probe into the AFA’s financial activities in the United States over alleged money laundering.
How is the AFA fighting back against these claims?
Tired of the constant attacks and false narratives, the AFA is now preparing a robust legal response as reported by La Nacion. They are actively targeting the misinformation campaign that attempted to ruin the team’s reputation during the World Cup. According to reports, the federation is weighing defamation lawsuits. The AFA’s legal team is collecting posts, articles, and evidence to go after individuals, prominent social media accounts, and big media outlets that spread false allegations without proof.
