Lionel Messi responded to criticism following Argentina’s dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over England, insisting that reaching the World Cup final was not the result of outside help but rather the quality of the team.
The Argentine superstar hit back at critics who have accused the reigning world champions of allegedly receiving favorable refereeing decisions and preferential treatment from football’s establishment.
He said the team’s ability to turn matches around in the closing stages, something they most recently demonstrated in their semifinal victory over England, is simply the result of a champion’s mentality and nothing else.
After trailing 1-0 until the 85th minute, Argentina staged a remarkable comeback on Wednesday to defeat England 2-1 and secure their place in the World Cup final.
The victory brought tens of thousands of people onto the streets of Buenos Aires for euphoric celebrations. It was yet another incredible comeback that demonstrated the determination and resilience of a team now just one victory away from successfully defending its title. Argentina will face Spain in Sunday’s final.
Argentina had previously struggled past Cape Verde and Switzerland, winning only after extra time. Then, against Egypt, they produced an astonishing comeback to win 3-2 despite trailing 2-0 with just 11 minutes remaining in regulation time.
However, the coaches of Switzerland and Egypt strongly criticized the refereeing. Egypt coach Hossam Hassan went so far as to claim that his team had fallen victim to a football establishment that favors Messi and Argentina.
Those comments only fueled criticism from fans who claim that FIFA’s draw and tournament bracket worked in favor of the Albiceleste, as well as unsubstantiated claims on social media that football’s governing body wants Argentina to become world champions again at all costs.
“We have been the best team over the past four years, whether people like it or not, and regardless of what anyone says. Once again, we have proven that we are among the two best teams in the world. This shows that everything we have achieved was no coincidence and that nothing has been handed to us,” Messi said.
The match against Switzerland was marked by a refereeing decision that angered those who believe World Cup officials have been favoring Argentina.
Switzerland had just equalized at 1-1 through Dan Ndoye in the 67th minute when Leandro Paredes was initially shown a yellow card for a challenge on Breel Embolo. However, VAR footage showed that the Swiss international had begun to go down before the Argentine midfielder made contact with him. Since Embolo had already received a yellow card earlier in the match, he was sent off for simulation, leaving Switzerland with 10 players.
“We were punished because of a rule that, in my opinion, is completely unacceptable. It is very painful to be eliminated in this way. I don’t think we deserved this today, and as far as I’m concerned, my players are the real heroes,” Switzerland coach Murat Yakin said after the match.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian Football Association also spoke out, declaring that it “could not remain silent” after what it considered unfair and biased refereeing in Egypt’s defeat to Argentina.
Until then, the Argentina national team had largely ignored complaints regarding refereeing and FIFA. At previous press conferences, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni had even advised journalists asking questions about the controversy “not to pay so much attention to social media.”
However, after defeating England, the reigning champions finally responded.
“Reaching two consecutive World Cup finals is an achievement that very few manage to accomplish, and this team has done it. If we had lost to England, people would have come forward and said all kinds of nonsense, but we didn’t give them that opportunity,” Messi concluded.
Wednesday’s semifinal was only the latest chapter in a long-standing rivalry that extends beyond the football pitch and touches on British control of the disputed Falkland Islands, which Argentina calls the Malvinas and claims as its sovereign territory.
On Thursday, the British government called on FIFA to launch an investigation into the Argentina national team after players posed with a banner handed to them by supporters during celebrations following their victory over England. The banner read: “Malvinas son Argentinas” — “The Malvinas are Argentine.”
Enzo Fernandez admitted that his celebration after scoring the equalizer to make it 1-1 was directed at Argentina’s critics. The Chelsea midfielder initially put his hands over his ears, a gesture widely interpreted in football as a clear response to critics. He then repeatedly opened and closed his fingers, mimicking talking and encouraging them to keep speaking.
“There was a lot of talk; it was a mixture of euphoria and frustration,” Fernandez said.
