10 - 🇦🇷 Lionel Messi in 2026 is the only player to do the following in a FIFA World Cup (since 1966):
Create 10+ chances (15)
Complete 10+ dribbles (10)
Make 10+ through balls (11)
Win 10+ fouls (13)
🔟 Diez.
🚨🗣️ Pierluigi Collina (Greatest Referee):
• Egyptian player Marwan Attia clearly stepped on the foot of Argentine defender Lisandro Martínez; the referee's decision to disallow the goal was correct ✅
• The contact between Egyptian player Mohamed Salah and Argentine Julián Álvarez was normal contact within the flow of play and not a foul; the referee's decision was correct ✅
Samuel Eto’o on the claims that Argentina robbed Egypt at the World Cup :
“Enough with the excuses. I have listened to people crying about the referee, VAR, and conspiracy theories for hours. Where was all that energy when Egypt were 2–0 up? Nobody was screaming ‘fixed match’ then. The narrative only changed because Argentina came back and won.
“People need to stop insulting football. Every time a big team wins a difficult game, some fans immediately shout ‘robbery.’ That’s becoming embarrassing. If you lose concentration, stop defending properly, and allow a team like Argentina back into the game, don’t blame the referee for your own collapse.
“And let’s talk about that so-called penalty everyone keeps mentioning. For me, it wasn’t even a penalty. I’ve seen much stronger challenges ignored without VAR getting involved. Yet somehow people want to build an entire conspiracy around one decision. That’s emotion, not analysis.
“What really decided the match? Argentina started playing with intensity, personality, and belief. Egypt stopped controlling the game. That is football. Momentum changes. Great teams punish mistakes. You cannot throw away a two-goal lead and then pretend the whistle is the only reason you lost.
“I’m tired of hearing that the World Cup is being ‘handed’ to Argentina. If you truly believe FIFA chooses champions before the tournament starts, then why are the players running, fighting, and sacrificing everything for 90 minutes? Those accusations disrespect every footballer on that pitch.
“The easiest thing after defeat is to attack the referee. The hardest thing is to look in the mirror and admit you lost control of the match. Egypt were brilliant for part of the game, but Argentina were better when it mattered most. That’s the truth many people don’t want to hear.
“Criticize decisions if you want that’s part of football. But don’t hide behind referees and VAR every time your team loses. Sometimes the real reason is simple: the opponent was stronger in the decisive moments. Accept it, improve, and come back better instead of creating stories that have no evidence behind them.”
Toni Kroos on the claims that Argentina robbed Egypt at the World Cup:
🗣️ "I don't understand why people always look for excuses after a result like this. Football is decided over 90 minutes, not by one moment. Egypt played an excellent first half, but after going 2–0 up they lost control of the game, and Argentina took advantage. That's what top teams do.
"People keep talking about the referee and VAR, but if you watch the match objectively, Argentina's comeback was built on their intensity, quality, and mentality. They believed until the final whistle, while Egypt couldn't maintain the same level they showed early on.
"You can't throw away a two-goal lead against one of the best teams in the world and then reduce everything to one decision. Football is much more complex than that.
"There will always be debates about refereeing, and that's normal. But saying the match was 'stolen' or that the tournament is being handed to Argentina is unfair to every player on the pitch. The players decide games with their performances, not conspiracy theories.
"The difficult thing after defeat is accepting that the opponent was better in the decisive moments. Argentina deserved credit for the way they responded under pressure, and Egypt should be proud of their performance while also learning from the mistakes that cost them. That's football."
🚨Rio Ferdinand: “Football Needs Results on the Pitch, Not Excuses”.
Enough of the Claims that Egypt was Robbed.
🗣️ I’ve sat here and watched football for many years, both as a player and as a pundit, and what frustrates me is this constant search for conspiracy when a big team fights back.
I don’t understand why people always look for excuses after a result like this. Football is decided over 90 minutes, not by one moment. Egypt played an excellent first half, but after going 2–0 up they lost control of the game, and Argentina took advantage. That’s what top teams do.
People keep talking about the referee and VAR, but if you watch the match objectively, Argentina’s comeback was built on their intensity, quality, and mentality. They believed until the final whistle, while Egypt couldn’t maintain the same level they showed early on.
When Argentina went down under a challenge, the whistle came — because it was a foul. When Egypt were on the receiving end of incidents, the game continued because the officials rightly let play go on where contact was minimal or players stayed on their feet. That’s consistency, not bias.
As for the build-up to Enzo Fernández’s winning goal, Egypt were screaming for a foul and surrounding the referee, but VAR correctly saw nothing worth overturning. If that incident had gone the other way, the same people would be praising the officials for not interrupting the flow of the game. We’ve seen similar moments reviewed or waved away across the tournament depending on the context — not the badge.
The disciplinary side tells the same story: Argentina played with passion and edge, but the referee managed the game well. Challenges that some call “deserving yellows” were competitive duels, not reckless ones. Top sides like Argentina are allowed to compete physically without constant cards, just as other great teams have been throughout history.
One debatable incident here, another there — that’s football. But turning isolated moments into a “pattern” of favoritism is exactly how fans create narratives instead of accepting that Argentina showed superior character and quality when it mattered most.
Football cannot afford this constant undermining of results with referee conspiracies. The integrity of the game depends on supporters recognizing that matches are won by players on the pitch, not by officials in the middle.
Whether you’re Argentina, Egypt, Brazil, France or anyone else, the laws of the game stay the same. What changes is how teams respond to pressure, how they fight back from behind, and how they deliver when the big moments arrive.
The officials tonight did their job. Argentina did theirs — with heart, belief, and quality. Egypt had a strong start but couldn’t sustain it. That’s football. The players on both sides deserve credit for a competitive match, and the fans deserve honest analysis, not excuses.
The result stands because Argentina earned it over the full 90 minutes.”
I am personally no longer partaking in these debates, I understand that after a while your brain cannot compute how a 39 year old footballer is playing the way he’s playing, I get it, you have to throw your logic out and make conspiracy theories to be sane.
I understand it.
Roy Keane blast Hossam Hassan's(Egypt's Manager) on claim that Argentina were favoured because of World Cup marketing:
🗣️ "That's the sort of excuse you expect from supporters after a bad night, not from a national team manager. If your team throws away a 2–0 lead late in the game, the first place you should be looking is in the mirror.
Every time Messi wins, people start talking about conspiracies instead of football. It's lazy. Accept the defeat, analyse what went wrong, and improve your team.
Blaming referees and claiming the tournament is a marketing scheme doesn't change the fact that your side couldn't see the game out. That's not the mentality a national team manager should have. Leaders take responsibility,they don't look for excuses."
Yes it’s all about money, Egypt were the better team.
So according to their coach, Argentina paid FIFA for them to shoot 19 times and 7 should be on target instead of 15. They paid FIFA president so that he can rig the possession to 64% instead of 36%. They paid money for big chances created.
You failed your team, players and country by not knowing how to manage pressure and conceded three goals in 14 minutes and instead of you to admit you are saying Argentina paid. A clown addressing set of clowns 🤡
🚨📲 Rivaldo on IG: "What a fighting spirit, what a desire to win, what a battle and dedication from everyone! This is exactly what the fan expects from his team in the World Cup.
"As for talking about Leo Messi, it's a given. What a player! At 39 years old, playing his sixth World Cup in his career, he still shows the same passion for the Argentina jersey; he celebrates, he fights, he cries, and once again he is the decisive player.
"I am Brazilian, I love my country, and I will always cheer for the Brazilian national team. Competition is part of football, but I also know how to appreciate and admire when I watch a great match and a team that gives everything it has on the field.
"Matches like these elevate the value of football, and they are worthy of the World Cup. Congratulations to Argentina on qualifying."