The Argentina Football Federation is having the kind of World Cup that makes PR teams update their resumes. Between an FBI investigation into suspected money laundering, a cyber-attack spreading false information about referee decisions, and Egypt filing a formal complaint with FIFA over officiating bias, AFA president Claudio Tapia has found himself fighting on roughly every front simultaneously.
A $300 million problem
US authorities have launched a preliminary investigation into the federation over suspicions of money laundering tied to approximately $300 million in transactions linked to the national team’s commercial rights. The investigation surfaced in July 2026. AFA president Claudio Tapia has publicly denounced what he called a “web of lies and misinformation.”
Cyber-attacks and conspiracy theories
AFA suffered a cyber-attack during the World Cup that amplified misinformation about referee decisions. The attack spread false narratives about officiating bias, pouring gasoline on conspiracy theories that were already circulating as Argentina advanced through the knockout stages. Egypt escalated matters by filing a formal complaint with FIFA regarding the refereeing of their match against Argentina.
