A suspected cyberattack on the Argentine Football Association (AFA) is under investigation after hackers reportedly breached the federation's media database and used a compromised account to circulate messages accusing Argentina of benefiting from corrupt refereeing in its dramatic World Cup victory over Egypt.
Argentine newspaper Diario Popular reported late Friday that emails were sent from an AFA account to journalists claiming Argentina's place in the FIFA World Cup quarterfinals had been secured through biased officiating rather than sporting merit.
The incident comes just days after Argentina's dramatic 3-2 comeback victory over Egypt in the Round of 16 sparked fierce controversy over several key refereeing decisions.
According to the report, one of the messages declared: "Argentina did not win. The victory was stolen through corrupt refereeing decisions."
The attackers are also believed to have gained unauthorized access to the AFA Medios database, which manages media accreditation and communications.
