Argentina came from behind with two late goals to beat England 2-1 in the 2026 World Cup semi-final, securing their place in the final for the second consecutive tournament. However, the team has faced repeated accusations of receiving favourable treatment from referees throughout the competition. After the match, captain Lionel Messi addressed the criticism head-on for the first time, insisting that Argentina's success has been built entirely on merit and that no victory was handed to them.
Argentina were trailing 1-0 until the 85th minute, but quick-fire goals from Enzo Fernández and his teammate turned the game around. They will now face Spain in the final. This marks Argentina's second consecutive World Cup final appearance, putting them one step away from defending their title.
However, Argentina's campaign has been shadowed by refereeing controversies. In the Round of 16 against Cape Verde, the quarter-final against Switzerland, and the dramatic 3-2 comeback against Egypt — where they scored twice in the final 11 minutes — Argentina's opponents have all voiced complaints. Both Switzerland and Egypt's football associations publicly questioned the officiating after their matches, with Egypt's head coach Hossam Hassan going as far as to claim his side had been targeted by a football establishment that favours Argentina and Messi. The comments have fuelled conspiracy theories on social media, with some suggesting FIFA is deliberately helping Argentina to retain the trophy.
Messi issued a rare and forceful response after the semi-final. He said that for the past four years, Argentina had been the best team, regardless of what others thought or said. He added that reaching another World Cup final proved once again that they were among the top two teams in the world, and that everything they had achieved was no coincidence — certainly not something handed to them.
Messi also highlighted the difficulty of reaching back-to-back World Cup finals, saying only a handful of teams had ever done it, and Argentina had done it. He noted that if they had lost to England, some people would have had plenty to say — but they didn't give them that chance.
Enzo Fernández admitted that his celebration — cupping his ears and waving towards the stands after his equaliser — was aimed directly at the critics. He said there had been a lot of noise from outside, and in that moment he felt both excitement and frustration, which was why he celebrated that way.
Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni also defended his team, saying the accusations of refereeing bias had always been there, but they didn't affect the squad. He pointed out that with VAR now in place, any attempt to favour a team would have to be through a very obvious decision, and he insisted that no one had helped Argentina.
One of the most contentious decisions came in Argentina's match against Switzerland, where Breel Embolo was shown a second yellow card for simulation after a challenge. Switzerland head coach Murat Yakin later criticised the decision and the rules themselves, saying his side had been unfairly denied a chance to progress, and that his players were the real heroes.
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