FIFA World Cup 2026: The Argentine team is performing brilliantly in the FIFA World Cup 2026, but at the same time the team is also being accused of getting help from the referee and FIFA. The controversy escalated after the win against Egypt in the Round of 16. Now before the quarter-finals, Argentina’s head coach Lionel Scaloni has responded to these allegations. He said that this is not the first time that such questions have been raised on Argentina.
Controversy started after the match against Egypt
In the round of 16 match, Argentina defeated Egypt 3-2 and made it to the quarter-finals. There was a lot of discussion about some decisions of the referee during the match. An Egyptian goal was canceled after a VAR check. At the same time, controversy also arose when Mohammad Salah did not get a penalty. Following these decisions, the Egyptian Football Association lodged its objection with FIFA. After this, discussions started on social media and in the football world that Argentina was getting the benefit of the referee.
Scaloni said – this is nothing new
Scaloni responded to the allegations in a press conference before the quarter-final against Switzerland. He said that such things have been happening against Argentina for a long time. The coach said that similar discussions had taken place during the 1986 World Cup also. According to him, when a team performs consistently and wins titles, it is normal for questions to be raised.
‘Some people don’t want us to win’
Scaloni says that his team is not troubled by these allegations, rather it increases the confidence of the players. He told that the team players are always told that some people do not want Argentina to become champion again. But the team’s entire focus is only on performing well on the field.
VAR system defended
The Argentine coach also supported video assistant referee (VAR) technology. He says that in the era of modern technology, it is not easy to deliberately benefit any one team. He said that before the start of the tournament, all the teams were given complete information about the VAR rules and till now the decisions are being taken according to the same rules.
Now the next challenge will be from Switzerland
Argentina will now face Switzerland in the quarter-finals. The team is trying to win the World Cup for the second consecutive time. On the other hand, amid the controversies, this match has become even more a topic of discussion. Scaloni clearly said that his team is focusing on its game rather than criticism. He believes that performance on the field is the biggest answer to every question. Now all eyes are on how Argentina performs in the quarter-finals and whether they can take another step towards defending their title.