23.3M Sign Petition Against Argentina, FIFA Unmoved

A petition calling for Argentina to be permanently banned from the FIFA World Cup has attracted more than 23.3 million signatures from supporters across 170 countries, making it one of the largest online campaigns of its kind.

The “Argentina Out” campaign was launched on the Change.org platform during the 2026 FIFA World Cup by football fans who alleged that FIFA and match officials showed consistent favouritism towards Argentina and captain Lionel Messi.
Originally targeting five million signatures, the petition quickly exceeded its goal before closing with a total of 23,316,108 signatures. Following Argentina’s 1-0 defeat to Spain in the World Cup final, the campaign displayed the message, “FIFA ignored us but Spain delivered. Thank you Spain.” Spain’s victory ended Argentina’s title defence, while Messi was seen visibly emotional after the final whistle amid tense exchanges involving players and officials.
The petition accused FIFA of allowing predetermined outcomes and demanded Argentina’s exclusion from future World Cup tournaments, arguing that other nations deserved a fair chance to compete. However, FIFA has consistently denied allegations of bias, insisting its refereeing and competition processes are designed to protect the integrity of the game. The football governing body did not issue an official response to the petition.
Despite attracting unprecedented global support, the campaign had no formal mechanism to compel FIFA to sanction Argentina. The South American nation remains a FIFA member and is expected to compete in future international tournaments. Although the petition narrowly missed becoming the most-signed online petition in history, no official investigation found evidence that Argentina received improper assistance from match officials or committed offences that would justify a lifetime World Cup ban.