Thousands of Argentina supporters have signed a petition calling on FIFA to replay the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, alleging biased officiating in their team’s 1-0 extra-time defeat to Spain.
Spain claimed the title on Sunday thanks to Ferran Torres’ 106th-minute winner after dominating much of the contest. Argentina, the defending champions, failed to register a shot on target during normal time and finished the match with 10 men after Enzo Fernández was sent off in the 93rd minute.
Goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez kept Argentina in the game with several saves before eventually being beaten by Torres in extra time.
Tensions boiled over after the final whistle, with Leandro Paredes appearing to kick and shove Spain’s Eric Garcia before clashing with Gavi. Nahuel Molina was also involved in the confrontation.
A petition demanding that FIFA order a replay of the final has since attracted more than 82,000 signatures.
The petition alleges that the match was affected by “controversial and corrupt” refereeing and urges FIFA to investigate the officiating.
It states that the result should be determined by “skill and commitment on the field, rather than manipulated officiating decisions,” adding that allowing corruption to go unchecked would set a dangerous precedent for the sport.
The petition calls on FIFA to review the allegations transparently and consider staging a replay of the final.
Meanwhile, a separate petition calling for Argentina to be banned from future FIFA competitions gained more than 29 million signatures before it was closed.
Referee Slavko Vinčić awarded 46 fouls during the match, with Argentina committing 25 of them. Fernández was dismissed after receiving two yellow cards in the second half—one for dissent after a denied free-kick appeal and another for a reckless challenge on Pau Cubarsí.
FIFA is also reviewing the conduct of several Argentina players following the ill-tempered scenes at the end of the match.
