FIFA Favoritism or Pure Talent? The Messi Conspiracy Theories Shaking the World Cup

Argentina's march to the final sparks heated debate over refereeing decisions, social media memes, and alleged corruption

The Celebration That Divided the World BUENOS AIRES/MIAMI — Argentine flags wave proudly through the streets of Buenos Aires and across American cities as fans celebrate their national team's dramatic 2-1 semi-final victory over England. The current World Champions have punched their ticket to the final, where they will face Spain on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

But while Argentine supporters dance and sing in jubilation, a storm of controversy has erupted on social media, with thousands of fans from around the world accusing FIFA of orchestrating the tournament in favor of Lionel Messi and his Argentine squad.

The allegations have grown so loud that FIFA's refereeing chief and Argentina's manager have both been forced to publicly deny any favoritism, even as memes portraying Messi as "FIFA's princess" continue to flood social media platforms.

The Egypt Match That Lit the Fire The controversy reached its boiling point during Argentina's heated quarter-final clash with Egypt, which the defending champions won 3-2 in the final minutes of the game.

Egyptian coach Hossam Hassan did not hold back his frustration.

"The game was unfair," Hassan declared after the match. "We suffered injustice."

The Egyptian Football Association issued a scathing statement, saying it "cannot remain silent" about "several key incidents that raised serious concerns and left profound questions about the consistency and fairness of decisions that directly influenced the course of the game."

The core of their complaint centered on a refereeing decision that voided an Egyptian goal due to a foul, while a potential foul by Argentina was allegedly not investigated.

"Perhaps FIFA wanted to keep the world champion in the competition," Hassan suggested bluntly. "Perhaps they wanted Messi to stay in the running."

Emails, Hacks, and "Justice" The situation escalated further when the Argentine Football Federation announced it was investigating a potential hack of its systems after mass emails were sent to reporters calling for "justice" for the Egyptian team.

"The robbery will not go unnoticed," the email read, alleging that Argentina won the game thanks to "corrupt calls."

Social media exploded with conspiracy theories, many centered on Messi, one of soccer's wealthiest stars with a Forbes-estimated net worth of $1.1 billion.

"FIFA's Princess": The Memes Taking Over Social Media AI-generated images of Messi dressed as a princess, alongside memes showing him cozying up to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, have spread like wildfire across X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, and Instagram.

One post on X garnered more than 1 million views and 90,000 likes since Tuesday, accusing Infantino of being happy because he has, allegedly, "successfully taken out all of Messi's competition."

A TikTok video, liked more than 2 million times, baselessly claimed Messi offered to pay "millions" for additional penalty kicks.

The "FIFA's princess" label isn't new, critics have used it since the 2022 World Cup, but allegations of favoritism have intensified this year. Argentina's relatively easier path to the semi-finals—facing none of the top 13 teams in the FIFA ranking prior to their match with England—only added fuel to the fire, though their comeback win over No. 4-ranked England quieted some critics.

The England Semi-Final: Drama, but Less Controversy The semi-final clash with England, while intense and featuring a heated argument between English midfielder Jude Bellingham and Messi, wasn't as marred by refereeing controversy.

However, a widely viewed X post falsely suggested Bellingham told Messi he was being aided by FIFA and that Ronaldo is better than him.

When asked about the clash in a post-game interview, Bellingham set the record straight:

"There was nothing against him. I'm obviously on the losing side which hurts a lot, but it's a privilege to go against him."

FIFA Fires Back FIFA's refereeing chief, Pierluigi Collina, strongly denied any favoritism.

"Constructive discussion about decisions will always be part of football, but unfounded allegations have no place in our sport," Collina stated emphatically.

He added that "nobody can claim that FIFA refereeing can be influenced by anyone, not even by the FIFA president."

Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni also dismissed the claims, pointing to long-standing criticism of his team.

"Honestly, people have been saying those kinds of things about Argentina for a very long time," Scaloni said. "Social media magnifies everything. That's where the debates begin. But there hasn't been any favoritism."

FIFA's Troubled History The conspiracy theories gain traction partly because FIFA is no stranger to corruption allegations—including some made against Infantino himself.

Critics have lashed out at Infantino over his close ties to President Donald Trump, especially after Trump personally called Infantino before FIFA lifted U.S. striker Folarin Balogun's red card suspension.

Barry Andrews, an Irish member of the European Parliament, slammed FIFA as a "profoundly corrupt" organization following Trump's intervention.

Sepp Blatter, a former FIFA president, went even further in February, calling the organization a "dictatorship" and accusing Infantino of being "submissive" to and currying favor with Trump. Blatter himself led FIFA during a massive corruption scandal in which executives were charged with rigging World Cup host bids in exchange for bribes.

Messi's Historic Performance Amidst the swirling allegations, one fact remains undeniable: Messi has been exceptional.

With 8 goals at the 2026 World Cup, the Argentine legend is tied for top scorer alongside France's Kylian Mbappe. His performances have silenced many doubters, even as the conspiracy theories continue to circulate.

Messi's lucrative brand deals with Adidas, Lay's, and Mastercard, along with his 2024 launch of Más+ by Messi sports drink and his 2023 move to Major League Soccer's Inter Miami, have made him a global icon and a target for criticism.

What's at Stake: The Final Argentina will face Spain in the World Cup final on Sunday, July 19, at 3 p.m. at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

For Argentine fans, the victory over England was a moment of pure joy—a step closer to defending their World Cup crown.

For the millions watching around the world, the final represents more than just a match. It's a referendum on whether talent and determination, or controversy and "FIFA's princess," will ultimately claim the trophy.

The debate rages on. But on Sunday, the players will decide it on the pitch.