By Ayobami Okerinde
Former Super Eagles captain John Mikel Obi has dismissed claims that FIFA is favouring Lionel Messi and Argentina at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, insisting such conspiracy theories are being driven by supporters of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Mikel made the remarks in a video from The Rest Is Football podcast that has been making the rounds on social media, where he responded to comments by former England midfielder Joe Cole ahead of Wednesday’s World Cup semi-final between England and defending champions Argentina.
During the discussion, Cole claimed the “whole world wants Messi in the final” while suggesting the Albiceleste could employ dark arts to win the game.
“FIFA wants Messi to get to the final. I think it’s subconscious, but I think if you would lean on that to get the best out of my group, I’ll go, ‘listen, the whole world wants Lionel Messi in the final. They want him to play’,” he said.
