Thousands of Argentina fans have signed a petition demanding a replay of the FIFA World Cup final due to “controversial” and “corrupt” officiating. La Albiceleste were denied the opportunity to become just the third country to win consecutive World Cups as they were beaten 1-0 by Spain at the New York New Jersey Stadium.

In a damning statistic, the South American giants failed to register a shot on target over 120 minutes. They also played more than 30 minutes with 10 men after Enzo Fernandez was given his marching orders for a second bookable offence.

A fan by the name Gisela Sanchez recently launched a petition on Change.org, alleging that referee Slavko Vincic influenced the match’s outcome and asked FIFA to consider replaying the final. The petition had received more than 82,000 signatures at the time of writing.

This is not the first petition of its kind. After Argentina defeated France to win the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, over 200,000 French supporters signed a petition calling for the final to be replayed over concerns about referee Szymon Marciniak’s officiating.

Separate from the petition, FIFA have opened disciplinary proceedings following the post-match brawl that erupted after Sunday’s final. A BBC report stated Argentina will face an investigation for the behaviour of its players after the match.

After the final whistle confirmed Spain as world champions, members of the Argentina team and backroom staff were involved in altercations with Spanish players.

Nahuel Molina and Leandro Paredes were at the centre of the altercation. Molina appeared to throw a punch at Rodri while Paredes shoved Eric Garcia before violently pushing Gavi to the ground.

The BBC report adds that any player involved in the brawl could face suspension, while the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) may also be fined.

Quick Links