In one of the largest global petitions ever circulated, an estimated 28 million football fans have signed a petition calling for Argentina to be kicked out of the World Cup.
A now-deleted Change.org petition, which was launched during the international football tournament, had campaigned for the reigning champions to accuse the team of corruption in collusion with organizing body FIFA.
Much of the discussion among fans online, on television broadcasts and at fan events involved allegations of favoritism, using hydration breaks for tactical changes and bias in the distribution of yellow and red cards, with Argentina’s critics alleging that the three-time winners were the beneficiaries of said corruption.
Last weekend’s World Cup final, where Argentina lost 1-0 to Spain, resulted in FIFA’s recent announcement A preliminary investigation will be conducted into the brawl that occurred during that match. Nahuel Molina, Leandro Paredes, Thiago Almada and assistant coach of Argentina Roberto Ayala Information has been given to join.
Kick Argentina Out, said the petition, which was later removed on its websiteThe numbered list for the cause of which is still live includes a number of factors and demands, including (but not limited to):
- Egypt match still needs clear clarification
- Respect for authorities must be consistently enforced
- Discriminatory chants have no place in football
- Must face racist abuse from supporters
- A public standard is needed for VAR intervention
The change petition is no longer available for viewing, but a screenshot on the website shows that it had 28,997,266 signatures before it was removed.
Argentina fans have started their own counter-petition
Perhaps inspired by the impressive number of anti-Argentina petitions, thousands of the team’s supporters have started a counter-petition, demanding a replay of the final, where Argentina lost to Spain after a two-and-a-half-hour match at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
“The recent final between Argentina and Spain was marred by the controversial and corrupt performance of the referee, who, according to video evidence, was bought off to influence the outcome of the match,” writes Gisela Sanchez, author of the Change.org petition. mirror).
“This is a huge disappointment for the players, coaches and, above all, the fans, who are eager to see games based on talent and dedication on the field, and not based on harsh decisions from the referees.”
The petition, which is not currently available for viewing, gathered at least 80,000 signatures before it was archived.
“If we ignore corruption on this global stage, we are setting a bad example for future generations of athletes and fans. Therefore, we call on FIFA to review these incidents with seriousness and transparency and to consider replaying the final – this time without the influence of corrupt referees.”
