A petition demanding Argentina's removal from the 2026 FIFA World Cup has gained global traction.
The campaign follows the team’s 2-1 victory over England in the semi-final, with millions now backing claims of "biased" decisions by referees throughout the tournament.
Argentina is now set to face Spain in the final on Sunday (July 19), while England plays France in the 'Bronze Final' on Saturday (July 18).
18 million fans sign petition to have Argentina removed from World Cup
However, a petition hosted on a site called ' Argentina Out ' has gathered more than 18.4 million signatures (at the time of writing) calling for Lionel Messi's side to be kicked out of the World Cup.
It argues that FIFA and match officials have shown favouritism towards Argentina and Messi.
The petition reads: "It is obvious that FIFA and the referees are biased towards Lionel Messi and Argentina.
"Why should the rest of the world compete when the winner has alrady been decided?
"Kick Argentina out of the World Cup and give everyone else a fair chance."
That’s It. I am DONE! I am DONE watching football. This World Cup is the worst thing I’ve ever experienced in my life. Heart break after Heart break
Ronaldo, Neymar & Modric Gone
Mbappe and France Gone
England Gone
While That 🐀 Messi is at the finals. I’ve genuinely never… pic.twitter.com/Sxt3wZF8Py— Argentina Out 🇦🇷 (@argentinaoutt) July 16, 2026
The website also includes a section titled "Latest victims - England", which outlines perceived injustices during England’s semi-final defeat.
Among the complaints are claims that a clear red card was ignored, that Messi put Jude Bellingham in a chokehold, and that Messi received his "preferred" referee.
A second petition, hosted on change.org and titled 'Disqualify Argentina from the 2026 World Cup', has gathered more than 7,500 signatures.
It calls for an independent investigation into claims of bias and unfair officiating.
The petition states: "In recent years, I have grown increasingly disillusioned with international football, especially concerning the unfair advantages certain teams seem to enjoy.
"While I love the sport, watching it has become an exercise in frustration, particularly when witnessing the repeated 'miracle plays' that always seem to favor Argentina."
The author argues that the credibility of the World Cup is at stake.
The petition continues: "Argentina, a team with undeniable talent and strong football history, should not have to rely on questionable officiating to secure victories.
"Time and again, questionable penalties, overlooked fouls, and biased referee decisions have marred their matches.
"These decisions undermine the spirit of fair play, which should be at the core of every sporting event.
"It's not just about a single match or a few calls; it's about the credibility of the World Cup itself.
"The integrity of the tournament is compromised when teams cannot rely on fair and just competition to determine winners."
Has Argentina been disqualified from the World Cup?
Meanwhile, Argentina could face disciplinary action over their players holding up a banner about the Falkland Islands following their World Cup semi-final win over England.
FIFA has said its disciplinary committee is currently “assessing the match reports” before deciding whether to “take steps” over the incident.
Following their 2-1 victory over England 2-1 on Wednesday (July 15), members of the Argentina squad celebrated with a banner that read “Las Malvinas son Argentinas”, which translates as “The Falkland Islands are Argentinian”.
Following the incident, a FIFA spokesperson said: “As is standard procedure, FIFA’s independent disciplinary committee is currently assessing the match reports and considering the relevant circumstances before deciding on potential further steps based on the Fifa disciplinary code.”
The Falkland Islands are a UK overseas territory, with islanders voting overwhelmingly to remain so in 2013.
In April 1982, Argentinian forces invaded the islands but were forced to surrender by June of the same year.
Do you think there has been favouritism towards Argentina and Messi in the 2026 World Cup? Let us know in the poll above or in the comments below.
