Argentina: Lionel Messi addresses alleged refereeing favors during the 2026 World Cup

06.10.26 FT Friendly International

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As he said goodbye to Argentina last night, Lionel Messi sought to set the record straight.

Lionel Messi said goodbye to Argentina overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday. The former FC Barcelona player looked back on La Albiceleste's run at the 2026 World Cup, which ended with a 1-0 extra-time defeat to Spain in the final.

The Inter Miami forward responded to the accusations and theories surrounding alleged refereeing favors that his national team supposedly benefited from during the competition. "At the last World Cup, I experienced intense moments. We dreamed of becoming world champions again, we came very close and, in reality, nothing strange happened, contrary to what is being said. We gave everything we had; the match against England was extremely demanding for us, both physically and emotionally. The truth is that we arrived at the limit of our strength," declared the 2022 world champion.

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Joshua SOSSOU

Editorfr, en, ar

As a sports fan, and particularly a football fan, I've been putting my writing talent to good use for a number of years now to promote African talent and the continent's football in general. On Foot Africa, enjoy reading each of my lines.

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