By Osordi Ayomide
As the FIFA World Cup is approaching its its end, one country has continually sparked controversies on social media. Every time Argentina wins, especially in a closely contested match, accusations begin to fly that FIFA is doing everything possible to ensure Lionel Messi lifts another World Cup trophy. For many football fans, it has become a predictable script: if Argentina wins, FIFA influenced the victory.
The claim, however, raises an important question. If FIFA is truly deciding who wins, why is the accusation almost always reserved for Argentina? This tournament has produced its fair share of controversial refereeing decisions. Penalties have been questioned, VAR has overturned calls, goals have been ruled out and fans of different countries have complained about officiating. Although, most of those controversies disappear after a few days. The ones involving Argentina, on the other hand, are often turned into evidence of a grand conspiracy.
Another argument frequently raised is that Argentina has enjoyed an “easy route” to the latter stages of the tournament. What many fail to acknowledge that the World Cup knockout fixtures are determined by performances in the group stage. Teams that finish top of their groups earn different paths from those that finish second. It is a system that has existed for decades. If another team wanted a more favourable route, the first assignment was to win its group.
Argentina’s journey has also been far from straightforward. The team has had to dig deep in several matches, coming from difficult positions, surviving extra time and finding ways to win under pressure. Those victories were earned on the pitch through discipline, resilience and teamwork. Instead of acknowledging the effort, some football fans have been quick to attribute every success to FIFA rather than the players wearing the famous blue and white shirt.
At the centre of it all is Lionel Messi. At 39, when many footballers have long retired or are winding down their careers, he is still competing against some of the best players in the world. His influence goes beyond scoring goals. His vision, movement, decision-making and ability to dictate the tempo of a game continue to separate him from many of his peers. Those qualities cannot be manufactured by referees or handed over by football administrators. They are the result of exceptional talent refined over nearly two decades at the highest level.
The Messi-Ronaldo rivalry has also fuelled much of the debate. Cristiano Ronaldo remains one of the greatest footballers the game has ever produced, but Portugal has never reached a FIFA World Cup final despite his brilliance. Argentina, meanwhile, is on the verge of playing in a second consecutive final with Messi leading the charge. Rather than recognising the achievement of the team, some have chosen to reduce it to claims of favouritism. That argument says more about football rivalries than it does about what has actually happened on the field.
This is not to suggest that referees always get every decision right. They do not. Officiating mistakes have affected almost every major tournament in football history, and this World Cup has been no exception. But turning every controversial decision involving Argentina into proof that FIFA is scripting the competition ignores the bigger picture. Football matches are won through preparation, tactics, determination and moments of brilliance—qualities Argentina has displayed throughout the tournament.
As the race for the World Cup trophy continues, perhaps it is time for the conversation to become less about conspiracy theories and more about appreciating excellence when we see it. Whether Messi is the greatest player of all time will remain a matter of personal opinion. What is difficult to deny, however, is that his longevity, consistency and influence on the game have earned him a place among football’s all-time greats.
Sometimes, greatness is simply greatness, and not every success needs a conspiracy theory to explain it.