Atlanta (AFP) – Lionel Messi's brilliance has helped carry Argentina into a blockbuster World Cup semi-final with England in Atlanta on Wednesday.
Issued on: 13/07/2026 - 18:54Modified: 13/07/2026 - 18:56
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But the defending champions' journey to the last four has been engulfed by online conspiracy theories claiming -- without evidence -- that the playing field has been tilted in their favour.Social media is awash with AI-generated videos and memes which amplify this narrative, whether it's FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Messi sharing a loving embrace on the deck of the Titanic in the style of Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, or simply Infantino's face being superimposed at the heart of the Sun of May at the center of Argentina's flag. From contentious refereeing decisions to claims of being handed a kind draw to the final, AFP breaks down the main incidents which have given rise to the conspiracy theories:Messi escapes redIn Argentina's group stage win over Algeria, with the South Americans leading 1-0, captain Lionel Messi raked his studs down the right calf and Achilles tendon of Algeria skipper Aissa Mandi in the 30th minute.Polish referee Szymon Marciniak gave Algeria a free-kick but Messi received no further sanction and would go on to score a hat-trick.Several pundits however were adamant that Messi had been guilty of serious foul play and under the letter of the law, should have been shown a red card that would have led to a suspension."It should have been a red card in my opinion," said ESPN pundit and former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha."Messi knew he did something that could have got him in trouble. I personally feel it is a red card." Former Bundesliga referee Patrick Ittrich agreed: "For me, that is a red card. We have various examples from the Bundesliga where that was punished with a red. By the letter of the law, that is a red. If I had seen it like that on the pitch, I would have shown red."Algeria's football federation subsequently filed an official complaint to FIFA over "refereeing injustice" in the game.Egypt cry foulArgentina produced one of the all-time great comebacks to keep their World Cup campaign alive in the last 16 against Egypt, recovering from a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2 and reach the quarter-finals.
