The debate over Argentina’s trip to the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals has taken a new turn, thanks to Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo’s social media activity. Ronaldo liked a video from his verified Instagram account that FIFA allegedly helped Lionel Messi’s team advance to the competition.
The video was uploaded from the Instagram account of Spanish television station Espejo Public before the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina. In the video, journalist Pilar Rodríguez Losantos lashed out at world football’s highest body, questioning the legitimacy of Argentina’s journey to the knockout stages. “Argentina is a team that should have been eliminated about five matches ago and they got this opportunity by FIFA, one of the most corrupt institutions in the world,” the journalist said in Spanish. He also alleged that FIFA wanted Messi’s team in the competition, forcing Spain to play not only against Argentina, but also against FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
Ronaldo has yet to publicly comment on the reason behind liking the post. While his actions may not be considered a direct indictment of the Portugal captain, they are taken as a virtual endorsement of the video’s main arguments. The incident is particularly significant in the context of the long-standing rivalry between Ronaldo and Messi that has divided football fans for nearly two decades. Also, Portugal’s World Cup journey ended with a semi-quarterfinal loss to Spain and Ronaldo confirmed that this would be his last World Cup.
The role of the referee has been questioned since the pre-quarter final match in Argentina. Argentina beat Egypt 3–2 in the match after a goal was disallowed following VAR testing and Egypt’s penalty appeal was rejected just before Argentina scored the winner. Of course, FIFA referee chief Pierluigi Collina has denied allegations of bias and defended the independence of officials, suggesting that controversial decisions do not simply bear evidence of corruption or deliberate deprivation.
Later, Argentina reached the final after defeating England 2-1 in the semi-final. Fernando Torres’ decisive goal in the 106th minute of extra time gave Spain a 1–0 win and their second World Cup title. Messi’s final World Cup journey ended in defeat.
Despite Argentina’s failure to lift the World Cup trophy, Ronaldo’s Instagram activity has added a new dimension to the controversy surrounding Argentina’s journey to the finals of the tournament. It remains to be seen whether FIFA or Ronaldo will react to this incident. It remains to be seen whether FIFA or Ronaldo will react to this incident.