Las teorías de conspiración sobre la final de Argentina y España se extienden

A week after Spain secured the World Cup title, conspiracy theories and false claims continue to circulate online, attempting to explain why Argentina lost the final. The majority of these claims focus on Spain’s 1–0 victory over Argentina, with particular emphasis on the controversial moments during and after the match. One widely shared post, which has amassed nearly four million views, alleges that the International Football Federation (FIFA) “should have awarded the European champion.” According to this claim, FIFA President Gianni Infantino had reached an agreement with the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) to ensure Spain won the tournament, in exchange for UEFA supporting his re-election as FIFA president in 2027. The video attached to the post does not contain any evidence to substantiate these allegations. Additionally, a comment section beneath the post highlights that Argentina failed to score a goal during the entire match, suggesting that the loss was due to poor performance rather than external interference. Over 200 FIFA member associations have already endorsed Infantino’s candidacy for another term, while only a small number of European confederations have withheld support, including notably the German Football Association. Despite growing tensions between UEFA and FIFA in recent years, partially due to FIFA’s decision to lift the suspension of Nigerian attacker Folarin Balogun during the World Cup, it remains unclear whether UEFA would support any potential rival candidate to Infantino. There is currently no evidence that UEFA participated in any form of bribery or manipulation regarding the outcome of the final match. Another theory circulating online suggests that FIFA threatened to suspend Argentina from the World Cup for ten years if they did not lose the final. This claim is based on a statement from a group of Argentine players who displayed a banner reading “Falkland Islands belong to Argentina” following their victory over England in the semifinals. The Falkland Islands, a British overseas territory located in the South Atlantic, have been the subject of a long-standing sovereignty dispute between the United Kingdom and Argentina. Argentina occupied the islands in 1982, but British forces regained control after a 74-day war. However, there is no evidence that FIFA made such a threat against Argentina. According to available information, FIFA is reviewing the case but has not issued any official sanctions yet. Article 34.3 of the World Cup regulations prohibits the promotion of political messages before, during, and after matches. Similar incidents have occurred previously, such as when UEFA suspended Spanish players Álvaro Morata and Rodri for one game after they shouted “Gibraltar is Spanish” during celebrations following the Euro 2024 final. To date, Argentina and its players have not faced any penalties for expressing political statements. Another conspiracy theory claims that Argentine team members and their families were subjected to threats prior to the final. Some users share a video in which captain Lionel Messi encourages his teammates before the match. In the clip, Messi says, “Stay calm. Forget everything, think only about the game,” according to the captions accompanying the video. Social media users argue that these words were meant to reassure his teammates after alleged threats and warnings that they needed to adjust their strategy. However, throughout the video, Messi also says, “Come on, Nico, you’ll play a great match” and “Today is my day, today we will go into history,” which appears to be aimed at motivating his team to perform at their best.