Argentina’s football federation just learned the hard way that winning on the pitch doesn’t mean you’re safe off it. The Argentine Football Association (AFA) confirmed on July 10 that hackers gained unauthorized access to one of its institutional email accounts and used it to blast out messages accusing match officials of corruption.
The breach came two days after Argentina’s dramatic 3-2 comeback victory over Egypt in the World Cup round of 16 on July 8. The unauthorized emails, reportedly sent from a legitimate AFA address, carried the subject line “SYSTEM HACKED: UNFAIR DECISION” and included accusations that Argentina “did not win” the match, along with what the AFA described as troubling threats.
What happened
On July 8, Argentina rallied from a 2-0 deficit to beat Egypt 3-2 in a World Cup knockout match. Egypt’s football federation subsequently filed a formal complaint with FIFA over the officiating of French referee François Letexier, setting the tone for what came next.
Somewhere between the final whistle and the AFA’s public statement two days later, hackers gained access to at least one of the organization’s institutional email accounts. Reports from Argentine and Uruguayan media suggest the intruders may have had access to parts of the AFA’s database, including sensitive information like email addresses and passwords.
